KARACHI: 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,” Mansoor said.

The ailing sports star 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.

Mansoor 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.

Mansoor — 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.

Published in Dawn, May 1st, 2018

Opinion

Editorial

Brewing catastrophe
Updated 19 Jun, 2025

Brewing catastrophe

If Mr Trump makes the mistake of plunging into the fight on Israel’s behalf, the world will enter very dangerous territory.
Pension bill
19 Jun, 2025

Pension bill

IT is, indeed, a worrying conundrum. The federal government’s annual pension burden now exceeds its fiscal space...
Abandoned Karachi
19 Jun, 2025

Abandoned Karachi

THE explosive mix of decay, institutional apathy and corruption has, once again, placed Karachi among the bottom ...
Spread of hate
Updated 18 Jun, 2025

Spread of hate

HATE speech is not confined to words; in fact, there is a causal link between hateful rhetoric and real-world...
Big challenges
18 Jun, 2025

Big challenges

BALOCHISTAN’S Rs1.028tr budget, featuring a public development investment of Rs245bn and provincial surplus of...
Rampant disinformation
Updated 18 Jun, 2025

Rampant disinformation

WITH the arrival and proliferation of digital media, the creation of information is now a decentralised function,...