Remembering Mohammed Shahid, India¡¯s Hockey Maestro Who Produced The Magic And Won Us The Olympic Gold In 1980
Mohammed Shahid was India's potent weapon in the 1980s. Known for his running ability dribbling of the ball and push which was as fast as a hard hit. Formed a deadly partnership with Zafar Iqbal in his prime.
India's love affair with hockey dates back to 1928 when we won our first Olympic gold. The glamourous history has seen many great legends - Dhyan Chand, Roop Singh, Balbir Singh Sr., and Leslie Claudius, have all awed with their talent and skill.
These are the names we always associate with serial winners and greatest of players. Yet, there is a certain someone like Mohammed Shahid who in their own right have had glittering careers and produced some fabulous play on the field.
Considered to be one of the greatest players, Shahid was India's potent weapon in the 1980s. A player with abundant talent, he was known for his running ability, dribbling of the ball and push which was as fast as a hard hit. A natural finisher, Shahid formed a deadly partnership with Zafar Iqbal.
In his prime, Shahid was absolutely unstoppable. His ability to dribble, run with the ball and score goals made him a very enterprising prospect. Whenever he had the ball, you knew what came next - outworldly dribble through a sea of bodies and making a mockery of the opponents.
In 1980, he was in the form of his life - he was awarded the 'Best Forward player' at the 1980 Champions Trophy and was also instrumental in helping India win the gold at the 1980 Olympics. He was also part of the team that won silver at the 1982 Asian Games and bronze at the 1986 Asian Games.
His skill and ability at the 1986 Seoul Asian Games earned him a place in the Asian All-Star team in 1986.
His biggest contribution to the game of field hockey was the 'half push- half hit'- a stroke he used to hit the ball using the same grip used to dribble the ball. With the left hand on top of the handle and the right half low down around the centre of the stick, he used to essay this shot with a minimum back lift and slam the ball towards his partner-teammate to make an early and accurate pass.
Mohammed Shahid finally called time on his illustrious career in 1989. It was an end of an era that yielded special moments and gave the endless joy of pure hockey magic to everyone who was lucky enough to watch him play.
The legend of Shahid passed away in 2016, but his undeniable legacy continues to find its place in the memoirs of history.
