LAHORE: Former Pakistan hockey player Shahid Ali Khan breathed his last here the other day. He was 77.

As a right-half, Shahid represented Karachi and Habib Bank in domestic hockey.

Following the 1972 Munich Olympics, 13 members of the Pakistan squad led by Asad Malik faced a one-year ban over misconduct during the podium ceremony after the Green-shirts lost a fiery final 1-0 to hosts Germany in controversial circumstances.

Shahid made his international debut in 1973 when he became part of the newly formed second-string team that competed in the World Cup. In a remarkable show, Pakistan finished fourth in that global event, losing both the semi-final and the third-place match by just one goal.

He was also a member of the Pakistan team which participated in a pre-Olympic tournament at Montreal in 1975.

In 1974, Shahid toured East Africa with a young Pakistan team and played against the touring Asian XI the same year.

Published in Dawn, March 21st, 2025