Pakistan condoles death of legendary Japanese wrestler Antonio Inoki

Staff Writer

Islamabad: Pakistan this week mourned the loss of legendary Japanese wrestler Antonio Inoki who passed away earlier today at the age of 79 after years of battling a rare disease.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed his condolences to the wrestler’s family and the Japanese nation. He also shared a throwback image of himself with Antonio Inoki in Lahore.

“Sad to learn about the passing of legendary Japanese wrestler Antonio Inoki. I have a vivid memory of meeting him at a stadium in Lahore 10 years ago. He mesmerized a whole generation with his rare wrestling prowess. My condolences are with his family and Japanese people,” Shehbaz Sharif tweeted.

Antonio Inoki was one of the biggest names in Japan’s pro-wrestling circuit. His popularity shot up and he went global in 1976 when he had a mixed martial arts match with boxing legend Muhammad Ali, billed as “the bout of the century”.

Antonio Inoki was also extremely popular in Pakistan. In 1976, Inoki was challenged by Pakistani wrestler Akram aka “Akki” and when he came to Pakistan for the encounter, nearly 50,000 spectators turned up for the spectacle at the National Stadium Karachi.

In 1989, Antonio Inoki entered politics by winning a seat in the upper house of Japan’s parliament and headed the Sports and Peace Party. He traveled to Iraq in 1990 to win the release of Japanese citizens who were held hostage there. He also staged a pro-wrestling match in North Korea.

In 2013, Antonio Inoki returned to Pakistan as part of goodwill celebrations of 60 years of Pak-Japanese diplomatic relations.