Manzoor, Khalid’s names missing from medals list

ISLAMABAD: The 1984 Olympic champion’s team captain Manzoor Junior and 1971 World Cup winning captain Khalid Mehmood’s names have been missing from the list of players who would be awarded medals during the forthcoming World XI hockey team tour to Pakistan.

Manzoor was not even the captain of the Los Angeles Olympics Games team that won the gold for Pakistan he also played decisive role when Pakistan went on to win the 1978 World Cup in Argentina. Khalid was the first captain who went on to win the World Cup title for Pakistan.Both legends, however, have been left out of the medal winners’ list. The other notables missing are Sohail Abbas (the world fame penalty corner specialist) and Hanif Khan.

The World XI team will play two matches in Pakistan. On the occasion, PHF plans to award medals to six former players that include Islahuddin, Shehnaz Shaikh, Akhtar Rasool, Samiullah, Hassan Sardar and Shahbaz Ahmed.

Unlike Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) that announced the World XI almost two weeks prior to arrival, the PHF is still reluctant to name the team, possibly unsure as which player would come and which would stay away.

The only sports which has given Pakistan Olympic gold medals has been struggling these days even at the Asian level. The team has recently lost to Japan — 16th ranked team in the world. Pakistan team’s ranking has slipped to 13th from sixth in less than two years time.

World XI team will play matches in Karachi and Lahore on January 19 and 21 respectively.The PHF also plans to award medals to some veteran foreign players including Paul Ligens, Bovelander, Christian Blunke and Ric Charlesworth. Even the PHF is unsure as which veteran player would come and which would miss the tour. So no names have been shared with media so far.The ceremony to award medals to hockey players would be held in Karachi.