Our country has lost a hockey wizard in the death of Mohammed Shahid. His brilliant stick work reminded one of Dhyan Chand, such was his brilliance on the hockey turf. Shahid made mockery of the opposition with his dribbling skills and defenders were always caught gasping on the wrong foot whenever he was in control of the ball. He played a stellar role at the 1980 games where India won its last Olympic Gold in hockey.
He was perhaps the best forward world hockey has ever seen and he along with Jaffer Iqbal were a deadly combination that could penetrate the best of hockey defence. Hockey was a treat to watch when he played as he mesmerized all with his magical midas touch that was poetry on the green turf. The void created by his death would be difficult to fill and his followers and fans would remember him for decades to come.
R.I.P Mohammed Shahid! May his soul rest in peace!
S.N. Kabra
(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)
