KARACHI: Eminent hockey Olympian goalkeeper Mansoor Ahmed, who died due to heart failure at the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD) on Saturday, was laid to rest here at Defence Housing Authority (DHA) Phase-I graveyard on Sunday.

Earlier, funeral prayer of the deceased was offered at Sultan Masjid in DHA at Zuhr prayers.

The prayers and funeral were largely attended by former Olympians, internationals, politicians, officials of the Karachi Hockey Association (KHA), fellow YMCA players of the deceased, sports organisers, colleagues, friends, relatives and media personnel.

Prominent among them were PHF secretary Shahbaz Ahmed, noted Olympian Islah­uddin Siddiqui, former Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi, Jahangir Butt, Hanif Khan, Hasan Sardar, Waseem Feroz, Iftikhar Syed, Shahid Ali Khan, Nasir Ali, Qamar Ibrahim, Kamran Ashraf, Sanaullah, Jan Mohammad, former international Safdar Abbas, veteran athletic coach Mohammad Talib, and Mansoor’s mentor Shabih Abbas.

MQM Pakistan’s Amir Khan and PPP’s Najmi Alam were the prominent politicians who attended the funeral prayers. The KHA was represented by its secretary Syed Haider Hussain, Gulfraz Khan, Dr Majid, Ejazuddin, Arif Hayat and Jawaid Iqbal.

Talking to reporters, Afridi paid glowing tributes to the legendary goalkeeper and expressed regret that no government official was present at the funeral prayers.

“Mansoor was the role model for youth and besides his goalkeeping heroics, he was a down-to-earth human being and regularly used to financially help needy players,” Shabih, who groomed him into world class player, told Dawn.

He termed his pupil’s death as an irreparable loss to the national game.

Meanwhile, fateha soyem of the deceased will be held at Masjid Mubarik, Seaview, on Monday between Asr and Maghrib prayers.

The Shahid Afridi Foundation and KHA has arranged Quran khwani for late Mansoor Ahmed at the KHA Sports Complex on Wednesday at 4:00pm.

Published in Dawn, May 14th, 2018