Ghulam Sarwar Sr. (1954 – 10 October 2024), was a Pakistani footballer who played as a midfielder. Sarwar played for the Pakistan national team between 1969 and 1985, and captained the national team from 1976 to 1978.[1]
Hailing from Lyari, Sarwar rose through the ranks from school football.[2][3]
During the 1970s, several local leagues were launched across the Middle East, where several Pakistani players represented club sides in these leagues and some of these players even coached the clubs’ new youth setups.[4] Subsequently, Sarwar moved to the United Arab Emirates, where he featured for Emirates Club in the mid-1970s.[4] He played for the Abu Dhabi based club alongside national teammate Ali Nawaz Baloch at the top-tier UAE Football League. Both also played for Pakistan Airlines simultaneously.[1]
International career
Pakistan national team visiting the Great Wall of China in 1973. Sarwar sitting fourth from right to left
On 6 May 2014, The News International reported the unfortunate conditions of Sarwar at the age of 60. The amount of money he gathered after his retirement had been spent on his family. Since retirement, he had been receiving only 7000 PKR per month as pension. Apart from supporting his own family, the amount was insufficient to look after the families of his two brothers, who had died earlier.[1] Adding to the earlier issues, his four sons were also jobless. Financial problems forced him to work with the Sindh Sports Board as a coach on a meagre monthly salary of 7000 PKR per month. He was also expecting a grant from the Sindh government which could help him to minimise his hardships.[1]
