Hockey legend refuses offer to undergo heart transplant in Pakistan, insists on going to India

Published April 30, 2018
Former field hockey goalkeeper Mansoor Ahmed being treated at a hospital in Karachi, following complications stemming from a pacemaker and stents implanted in his heart. — AFP/File
Former field hockey goalkeeper Mansoor Ahmed being treated at a hospital in Karachi, following complications stemming from a pacemaker and stents implanted in his heart. — AFP/File

World Cup-winning field hockey goalkeeper Mansoor Ahmed on Monday refused the offer of having his heart transplant conducted in Pakistan.

"Pakistan does not have enough facilities, I want the transplant to be conducted in India," Ahmed said.

Ahmed was reportedly being offered a mechanical heart transplantation which, had he accepted, would have been the first time the procedure was to be conducted in Pakistan.

However, the hockey legend prefers more conventional and proven procedures, for which he believes undergoing a transplant in India would be his best bet.

The ailing sports star had reached out to India last week and asked for help in securing a heart transplant — despite years of breaking the eastern neighbours' "hearts on the field".

The 49-year-old has been suffering for weeks from complications stemming from a pacemaker and stents implanted in his heart.

Ahmed has been a sporting icon in Pakistan since helping the country win the 1994 World Cup in Sydney with his penalty stroke save against the Netherlands in the final.

“I may have broken a lot of Indian hearts on the field of play by beating India in the Indira Gandhi Cup [1989] and in other events but that was sport,” Ahmed had told AFP in a recent interview.

“Now I need a heart transplant in India and for that I need support from the Indian government.”

Ahmed — who played 338 international matches, participated in three Olympics and various other high-profile events in a career spanning from 1986 to 2000 — said the visa could be a lifesaver.

Opinion

Editorial

Hasty transition
Updated 05 May, 2024

Hasty transition

Ostensibly, the aim is to exert greater control over social media and to gain more power to crack down on activists, dissidents and journalists.
One small step…
05 May, 2024

One small step…

THERE is some good news for the nation from the heavens above. On Friday, Pakistan managed to dispatch a lunar...
Not out of the woods
05 May, 2024

Not out of the woods

PAKISTAN’S economic vitals might be showing some signs of improvement, but the country is not yet out of danger....
Rigging claims
Updated 04 May, 2024

Rigging claims

The PTI’s allegations are not new; most elections in Pakistan have been controversial, and it is almost a given that results will be challenged by the losing side.
Gaza’s wasteland
04 May, 2024

Gaza’s wasteland

SINCE the start of hostilities on Oct 7, Israel has put in ceaseless efforts to depopulate Gaza, and make the Strip...
Housing scams
04 May, 2024

Housing scams

THE story of illegal housing schemes in Punjab is the story of greed, corruption and plunder. Major players in these...