Abdul Hameed ‘Hameedi’ – The hockey skipper who led Pakistan to their first Olympic gold

Pakistan’s first-ever international hockey team, who had the honour of participating in the 1948 Olympics, included a youngster from the town of Bannu. His name was Abdul Hameed, better known as Hameedi. An outstanding inside-right, Hameedi, who rose to the rank of brigadier in the Pakistan Army, was not only a schemer but also a tremendous scorer. He was a member of both the 1948 and 1952 Olympics teams. But these teams, despite having several outstanding players, could only finish fourth. The main reason of the failure was a lack of harmony and discipline. Hameedi was then made the captain of the team in 1956 and he didn’t disappoint - the army officer inculcated much-needed discipline and spirit in the team. Under Hameedi’s able captaincy, Pakistan won silver medal at the 1956 Olympics losing to India by a controversial goal in the final. Still, it was an epoch-making moment in the country’s sporting history as it was Pakistan’s first ever medal of any colour in any Olympic discipline. Then, in 1958, Hameedi led Pakistan to a gold medal at the Asian Games. It was the first time that India was relegated to second position in any international hockey tournament.