Shahid was the hero of the Moscow Games

The youngest of the lot in 1980, he scored the winning goal against the Spaniards in the final to give India its last gold in hockey

When India won the hockey series against Pakistan in 1986, Hassan Sardar, the Pakistan captain summed it up: “We have not lost to India, but to Shahid.”

This was what Mohammed Shahid was capable of. Every time the Varanasi-born star threw off the shadow of defenders, it ended in India making a goal, a penalty corner awarded or a stroke gained.

Shahid, unlike Dhyan Chand or Balbir Singh, was not exactly groomed to score goals. As an inside forward, his role was mainly to set up goals. For the span of nearly nine years in which Shahid played for India, he was the schemer and scorer rolled into one.

During 1984 and 1985 India did not lose a single match to Pakistan, the Dhaka Asia Cup final in which five Indian players were suspended being the lone exception. Hockey was at its best with the irrepressible Shahid on one side and the master Hasan Sardar on the other.

Born in 1960, the year India forfeited its hegemony on the Olympic gold, Shahid took up the game very early during his school days. His entry into the veritable hockey nursery, Lucknow Sports Hostel, did wonders in honing his skills. He graduated to the senior grade when he was barely 19. The 1979 Esanda World Cup marked the arrival of this great player.

At the Moscow Olympics, the youngest of the Indian lot, Shahid, set up so many goals and proved to be a saviour. Fittingly, he scored the winning goal in the final off a cross from right winger MK Kaushik. This fourth goal took away the match from the fighting Spaniards. India defeated them 4-3 for their eighth Olympic gold. On return, captain Vasudevan Baskaran said, “I havent seen a better player than Shahid.”

The run-up to the 1988 Seoul Olympics was bumpy. Azlan Shah Cup and Pakistan series wins in 1985 and 1986 were marred by the last-place finish at the World Cup in 1986. Further, Shahid and coach MP Ganesh drifted apart, leading to him being used sparingly at Seoul.

India failed to book a berth in the semis by just a point, unable to score a goal against the British. Shahid was played only in the second half! Dejected, he announced his retirement soon after. Shahid was the man of the moment for those who believed in the Asian style of hockey and his role in strengthening it cannot be overemphasised. For them, Shahid provided the much needed saving grace.

Dhyan Chand gave a sporting identity to the nation still under colonial rule; Balbir Singh personified emerging native talent; Leslie Claudius signified the Anglo-Indians legacy besides setting a benchmark for endurance while Shankar Laxman symbolized the goal-keepers supremacy in victories.

What then is the role of Shahid? He was modern hockeys marketing marvel — as his game brought in huge crowds. However, the authorities failed to cash-in on his popularity.
—Hockey Features