The genius of dribble - Mohammad Shahid

Mohammad Shahid

Dribble, a few would say, is like a cuddle on the bed.  It’s all but the art of maneuvering the ball from the right to left, and vice – versa. The game of hockey holds a special place for this dying art that once constituted to the arsenal of skills in a team’s preparation.  Time and space today have changed the dimensions and the beauty of the game.  Astroturf has usurped grass and speed, grace. India and Pakistan are synonymous with the legacy of this art in the game.

From the Kishan Lal and Dhyan Chand of the yesteryears to the Shahbaz Ahmad and Dhanraj Pillay of the present–day times, these Asian giants have introduced legends of the game. This, my write-up, is all but a miniature tribute to a man in hockey circles, who, in times past and present is referred to as “The genius of dribble” – Mohammad Shahid.

Shahid, a two-time Olympian is profoundly known for baffling the full-backs with his inimitable knack and guile on the hockey pitch. The way he controlled the speeding ball, dribbled and assisted to perfection in the period of 1978–1984 in the elite company of Zafar Iqbal is still reminisced in the hockey circles.

It was during the 1979 junior hockey world cup in Versailles, France, that Shahid caught the eye of selectors as a decent striker of the ball. From then on, a superb performance back home in the Aga Khan cup gave him an elusive senior Indian shirt. It was then, the start of a career that etched a special place in the history books. The flamboyance in the striking of Shahid, the elegance in the custodianship of Alan Schofield and the captaincy of V Bhaskaran gave India, its last gold medal in Hockey at the Olympics.  This “Best Forward Player of the Year 1980” contributed to one silver and a bronze at the Asian games in 1982 and 1986.

A few would say, India would have stood on the podium had our Shahid been given a chance to play in the first team during 1988 Seoul games against England. Only time would tell. Shahid was so famous for his dribbling that old people would reach to him to kiss his hands. Such was the mastery and speed with which he dribbled the hockey ball.

In all, this Arjuna Awardee was not hailed a hero in spite of his rich talent. His fast push akin to hard hit is cherishable. Undoubtedly, Shahid is a hockey hero considering his contribution in popularizing the game.