Hockey Olympian Shahnaz Sheikh — The unstoppable forward

Hockey Olympian Shahnaz Sheikh

With Pakistan’s obsession with cricket these days, the national sport hockey has been relegated to the background in recent years due to the team’s poor showing in major events and favoutism and nepotism reigning unhindered in the Pakistan Hockey Federation. Pakistan hockey remained up in the clouds for more than three decades. Pakistan won Olympic gold thrice, World Cup four times, Asia Cup thrice, Asian Games gold record eight times, Asian Champions Trophy gold twice, FIH Champions Trophy gold thrice and remained unbeatable at regional level for many years. Pakistan hockey produced many legends who took the game to new heights. Shahnaz Sheikh, arguably, is among the top 10 Pakistan hockey players of all time. Born in Sialkot on March 21, 1949, Shahnaz, a forward, played between 1969 and 1978. He was capped 68 times and scored 45 goals for the Pakistan national hockey team. He won silver in 1972 and bronze in 1976 Olympics. Shahnaz won the 1971 World Cup and was runner-up in 1975 and won again in 1978. Shahnaz was one of the most skilled hockey players that Pakistan has produced. At the same time, Shahnaz was also an explosive player who stood tall among his contemporaries and would have easily walked into any field hockey side in the world.