Pakistan has won the hockey World Cup a record four times. The last success came in 1994. During that victorious campaign, the left full-back position was manned throughout by young Naveed Alam who breathed his last Tuesday. Just a few days back, Naveed, only 47, was diagnosed with Hodgkin`s Lymphoma, a type of blood cancer. Chemotherapy had started on Monday, but his condition immediately deteriorated and he passed away after a few hours.

Naveed was born in Sheikhupura, an industrial town near Lahore. The city has a rich tradition of hockey. Several players from the town have represented Pakistan.

These include Asad Malik, who won a grand slam- a member of the gold medal-winning sides of the Olympics (1968), World Cup (1971), and Asian Games (1970). Another Sheikhupura legend Saeed Anwar, regarded as Pakistan`s finest right half, won Olympic gold (1968) and two silvers (1964 & 1972).

The hockey environment meant Naveed started playing the sport at a very young age - he took it like a duck to water. Soon, he was in the Sheikhupura district youth team. Naveed caught national selectors` eyes when he figured in Lahore Division`s team which won the national junior title in 1990. He scored a penalty corner goal in the final. He gained selection for the national junior team and was a member of the Pakistan team which won the Junior Asia Cup in 1992. Then he appeared at the Junior World Cup in 1993 in Terrassa, Spain. Pakistan finished second. They have never reached the podium at the Junior World Cup since then.

Naveed, 5`11`` tall with an athletic physique, wore the coveted national blazer for the first time at the 1993 Asia Cup in Hiroshima.

Of all the countries, Pakistan had the best record in international hockey from 1956-1986. However, a global title had eluded them since the 1984 Olympics. The memorable year of 1994 arrived. PHF president AVM Farooq Umar took some revolutionary steps. A foreign coach, Hans Jorritsma of Holland, was acquired along with a foreign physiotherapist, and video technology was employed, also for the first time. All this paid off. Pakistan won the annual Champions Trophy (competed by the world`s top-ranked teams) after 14 years. Then in Sydney, they regained the World Cup after 12 years. Naveed played in all the matches in the two events and his performance was right out of the top drawer. Connoisseurs remarked that Naveed`s display reminded them of late Munawwaruz Zaman, widely acknowledged as Pakistan`s greatest left full back. He was also awarded the coveted President`s Award for Pride of Performance.

At the 1995 Champions Trophy, where Pakistan finished third, Naveed scored three penalty corner goals with his well-placed ground hits; his team`s joint top scorer.

He regularly played for the national team till the 1996 Olympics. Pakistan’s preparations for the Atlanta Olympics had been hampered by the players` infamous revolt; they finished sixth, the worst position till then.

Many players were dropped including Naveed. Not finding a suitable replacement, PHF recalled him after more than a year for the 1997 Champions Trophy.

His last international event was the 1998 World Cup where the defending champions ended fifth.

Once his international career was over, he plied his trade for a Dutch club as a foreign pro for a few years. In the late 1990s and 2000s, Bangladesh Hockey League featured many top Pakistani and Indian players. Naveed played for Usha Krira Chakra.

During his playing days, Naveed was shown a card by the umpires more than most of the players. To an ordinary spectator, he might have appeared ill-disciplined. But his teammates attributed it to Naveed`s fighting spirit. He often argued with the umpire if not fully satisfied with his decision. Otherwise, he was a disciplined player and always punctual for the training. He was a great team man who hated losing.

Legendary Shahnaz Shiekh, Naveed`s coach during his days with the Pakistan junior team, says, “He already had strong basics for a full back. An intelligent player and keen learner who frequently asked me questions related to training.”

Hockey was Naveed`s greatest love and later he remained associated with the game in different roles. As a coach, he guided no less than three national teams.

He coached China from 2001-2005. His most important coaching assignment was with the Pakistan team for the 2008 Olympics. Then he coached Bangladesh in 2013 and 2014.

He also held important administrative positions. Naveed worked as the elected secretary of the Punjab Hockey Association from 2005-2007 and was also an individual member of the Pakistan Olympic Association`s general council.

His last assignment was with the Pakistan Hockey Federation as the Director Domestic and Development from 2016 to 2018. Incidentally, I too joined the PHF a few months later as the media manager. We had offices in the same room. The two of us developed very good relations, from colleagues to close buddies.

Like any hockey lover, we were perturbed by the actions of the inept PHF which led to the continuous decline in the performance of the national team.

Under the current PHF set-up, Pakistan`s world ranking has dropped from 10th to 18th. Naveed openly talked about PHF`s corruption and inefficiency. Naveed was dismissed from the PHF office in October 2018.

Naveed, a fighter to the core, continued to raise his voice against the PHF. He was an active member of the most vocal and dynamic body in this regard, Pakistan Olympians Forum and Hockey Lovers Family. The forum organised two very well-attended press conferences at the Lahore Press Club in April 2019 and Gojra in August 2020. Naveed was among the speakers who highlighted the PHF`s misdoings and failures.

I met him at Lahore`s Shaukat Khanum Hospital last Sunday. Though quite ill and weak, the fighter was still in good spirits. Two days later, he left for the eternal abode.

In 1994, the citizens of Sheikhupura grandly greeted the World Cup winner. Naveed was taken on an open-top truck parade through the city. Tuesday night, the town again honoured its great sporting son. Naveed`s funeral prayers were attended by a mammoth crowd, one of the biggest in Sheikhupura`s history.

Good Bye, my Dear Friend.

ijaz62@hotmail.com