KARACHI: The Prime Minister of Pakistan, Shehbaz Sharif, paid tribute to Japanese pro-wrestler Antonio Inoki, who passed away on Saturday at the age of 79.
Inoki was well-known for both his fight with boxing great Muhammad Ali and his ties to North Korea.
The premier took to Twitter to pay tribute to the wrestler-turned-politician and posted a picture with the athlete from their interaction in 2010.
“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 & Japanese people,” he wrote.
He passed away from heart failure, according to the Japanese state broadcaster NHK.