Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni lead tributes to deceased hockey great Mohd. Shahid
As the sad demise of hockey wizard, Mohammed Shahid has left many hurt and upset, voices from the cricketing fraternity also expressed their grief over the shock passing away of the 56-year-old legend. Among others, World Cup winning captain Kapil Dev, who was the star of Indian cricket at the exact time when Shahid was dribbling his way to glory, expressed his grief over the death of Shahid.
"I was hopeful of him pulling through this battle. At 56, he was too young to go and I feel for the family," Kapil told India Today. Kapil described him as a "great athlete and a very gifted player. He went on to add, “He was my hero to be honest. Those were the days when cricket and hockey were almost similar in reach and popularity and I often watched Shahid score those goals for India. I didn't watch too many hockey games at the ground but would often watch on TV or listen to commentary and Shahid was the most marked man on the field. If you have any doubt over his calibre, ask any of the Pakistani hockey stars of 80s and they will tell you how much they feared and respected him.”
Also Read: Mohammed Shahid: Remembering the dribbling genius
India’s Test skipper Virat Kohli, who is with the Indian team in West Indies to play a Test Series also expressed his condolences to the deceased hockey player. In a specially arranged press conference in Antigua, Kohli said, “Wanted to pay our condolences on behalf of the Indian cricket team to Mr. Mohd. Shahid’s family. I think he is an icon in hockey and one of the greatest players who brought so much glory to the nation. It’s a very sad moment. We were informed about it this morning and we pray for all the support to his family. May god bless his soul.”
#TeamIndia skipper @imVkohli expresses grief over the untimely loss of @TheHockeyIndia legend Mohammed Shahidhttps://t.co/BknZyfOgPh
— BCCI (@BCCI) July 20, 2016
At a separate event in Delhi, MS Dhoni, the captain of India’s ODI and T20 team also expressed solidarity with the bereaved family. These are tough times for any family, but it’s like a wall you have to pass through, no matter how tough. My thoughts go out to Mr. Shahid’s family. I wish them all the strength to get out of the loss.”
The Varanasi-born Shahid was part of India's last Olympic gold medal-winning hockey team (Moscow, 1980). He breathed his last on Wednesday morning due to multi-organ failure at Gurgaon's Medanta Hospital. Shahid is survived by his wife Parveen and two children, Saif and Heena.