Legend of dribble no more

Mohammad Shahid, hockey legend known for his silken dribbling skills, passed away Wednesday morning with multiple organ failure at a hospital near here.

The former India international was admitted to Medanta-the Medicity earlier this month after being disgnised with jaundice, which was made wose be a dengue fever attack. He was airlifted from his hometown Varanasi.

“He breathed his last at 10:45 this morning. It was multiple organ failure that led to his passing away. He will be taken to Varanasi and last rites will be performed there tomorrow,” Shahid’s son Mohammed Saif was quoted as saying.

An Olympic Games gold medalist at Moscow in 1980 under V. Baskaran, Shahid was considered one of India’s greatest hockey players. He was also part of the team that won a silver medal at the Delhi Asian Games in 1982 and bronze in the Seoul Asiad in 1986.

Said former India skipper Zafar Iqbal, who formed a feared attacking combination alongside Shahid, “He was the most gifted player I have ever come across in my life. It is a big loss for the hockey fraternity. We shared a very good understanding on the field. He will be missed.”

“I am deeply saddened by Shahid’s death, It is an irreparable loss. He was a great player and also a great human being. He will be surely remembered as one of the greatest hockey players who played for India,” Balbir Singh (senior) said.

M.K. Kaushik, a close friends of Shahid, said his team spirit was amazing.

“He was quite young in 1980 and were very senior to him. He respected every one and had a jolly nature. His dribbling skills played a crucial part in India winning the gold. The whole world respected his excellent stick work. There was no one who could match him whether it was a creating a penalty corner or firing a field goal,” Kaushik said.

PTI adds: “I would tell him that if you join our team, we would be world beaters and he used to say the same for me,” said Pakistan’s legendary centre forward Hasan Sardar.

Accolades poured in from across the border for Shahid as two past masters from Pakistan, Sardar and Samiullah, recalled how they were keen competitors on the field, and friends off it.

“Shahid was one of the rarest players who possessed superb dribbling skills without compromising on speed. This was a rare combination.”