Hockey World Cup winner Munir Bhatti passes away

LAHORE: Pakistan’s hockey international Munir Bhatti passed away on Thursday in Rawalpindi after a prolonged battle with cancer.

The Sialkot-born midfielder had a short international career from 1978-79. Pakistan achieved great glory during this period -- 1978 was Pakistan hockey’s annus mirabilis. Munir was a proud team member who won the World Cup, Asian Games and Champions Trophy. Sialkot was a big hockey nursery at the time. Two legends from Sialkot, Shahnaz Sheikh and Manzoor Hussain Junior, were also members of that all-conquering Pakistan side.

In 1979, he played in the much-publicised Esanda Cup in Perth, Australia, which Pakistan also won. He had earlier appeared for Pakistan Juniors in 1977 in Malaysia which won the qualifying round for the 1st Junior World Cup. Munir Bhatti represented PIA, the most dominant team on the domestic circuit. He retired from PIA in 2015.