Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) on Thursday announced that it will construct a stadium in Islamabad in the memory of Olympian Mansoor Ahmed, who passed away last week.

A meeting of the executive board of the PSB accepted Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) Secretary Shahbaz Ahmad Senior's suggestion to build a stadium after the World Cup winning hockey goalkeeper.

The board also decided to provide Rs1 million to the deceased family and approved recommendation of taking out health insurance for all of its athletes.

Ahmed, who was 49, passed away after suffering for weeks from complications stemming from a pacemaker and stents implanted in his heart, and had reached out to India for help in securing a heart transplant.

He had become a sporting icon in Pakistan's hockey circles after helping the country win the 1994 World Cup in Sydney with his penalty stroke save against the Netherlands in the final.

Ahmed played 338 international matches and also participated in three Olympics and various other high-profile events in a career spanning from 1986 to 2000.

In addition to being named the world's best goalkeeper on four occasions, Ahmed was bestowed with a presidential award in 1988 and the Pride of Performance in 1994.

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