Hockey legend Mansoor Ahmed passes away

KARACHI: Pakistan hockey legend Mansoor Ahmed died on Saturday after a prolonged battle with heart ailment.

The 49-year-old Olympian was a 1994 Hockey World Cup hero, stopping the penalty stroke in the final to make Pakistan champions, their last World Cup title win.

The legendary goalkeeper was admitted to the hospital on Saturday morning and was put on ventilator. But he did not survive with his heart functioning at only 20 per cent efficiency, hospital sources said.

Mansoor represented Pakistan in 338 international matches between 1986 and 2000. He also captained the team for a short time.

The government had offered Mansoor a mechanical heart transplantation which, had he accepted, would have been the first time the procedure was to be conducted in Pakistan.

However, the hockey legend refused the offer as he wanted to go to India or any other foreign country for a more conventional and proven procedure but his condition did not allow him a long journey.

Mansoor had been suffering from complications stemming from a pacemaker and stents implanted in his heart.

He helped the greenshirts win 1994 World Cup in Sydney with his penalty stroke push against the Netherlands in the final. In addition to being named the world’s best goalkeeper on four occasions, he was bestowed with a presidential award in 1988 and the Pride of Performance in 1994.

President Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF), Brig(r) Khalid Sajjad Khokhar and Secretary General, Shahbaz Ahmad expressed grief over Mansoor’s demise.

Hockey greats Shahnaz Sheikh, Samiullah, Islahuddin and Hasan Sardar also expressed sorrow. They termed Mansoor one of the greatest goalkeepers of all-time and asked the government and PHF to take care of his family now.

His funeral prayer will be held on Sunday (today) after Zohar prayer here at Sultan Masjid in Defence.