India is the home for many outstanding Hockey players. From the well known Dhyan Chand to the inspiring Dhanraj Pillai, Indian Hockey team has been delighting in possessing Hockey connoisseurs around the world. Mohammad Shahid falls in the list of famous Indian Hockey players especially for his success in 1980 Olympics. The game Hockey, regardless of being anointed as India’s national game, still lags behind cricket. Now, Indian hockey players are rapidly declaring themselves in the international foray.
Mohammad Shahid is the former hockey player of the Indian Hockey team. He is the man who dashes forward with the talent and capability to win games with his amazing endearing skills. He had won the gold medal at the Olympics held in the year 1980 in Moscow. He also represented India in the Los Angeles Olympics of 1984 and in the Seoul Olympics 1988. He had won the silver medal in the 1982 Asian Games held in Delhi and a bronze medal in the 1986 Asian Games in Seoul. He was the captain of the Indian hockey team from 1985-1986. Born at Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh in the year 1960, his first game played for India was in 1979 in the Junior World Cup in France. In 1980 he was awarded the Arjuna Award and in 1986, the Padma Shri Award. Shahid’s talent and skill had earned him a place in the Asian All Star team in 1986. This had made him, the master dripper and forward of the Indian Hockey team and had mesmerized his fans with his genius and skill.
Mohammad Shahid is considered as one of the best Indian Hockey forwards. He had created a mark for his outstanding dribbling and ball controlling dexterity. After measuring up to the senior team, Mohammad Shahid signified for the Indian team at the Karachi Champion Trophy in 1980.
There is some interesting news about the Olympics of 1980s held in Moscow. There were 9 teams from the Montreal Olympic Hockey 1976 which did not participate in the 1980 Moscow Olympics Hockey tournament. The proscribed teams include the top three teams from the Montreal Olympics; they are the Australia team who won the silver medal, the New Zealand team that won the gold medal and the Pakistan team with the bronze medal. Along with this, Germany, European Hockey team, Holland and Great Britain did not participate in the 1980 Olympics in Moscow. India did not do fairly well in the Montreal Olympics. But it did well play in the 1980 Moscow Olympics which was played in the Poligras fields of Dynamo and the Young Pioneers club. India with its last minute entry with Tanzania had won the game, scoring the second biggest score in the Olympic hockey games. India’s achieved much with Mohammad Shahid, and scored 5 goals in 5 minutes. This is a very great victory for India over Tanzania.
Though India won the Moscow Olympics of 1980s, the former hockey gold medalist, Mohammad Shahid is not fully satisfied with the present Indian hockey team. He also said that “the national game of the country needs government support to get back on its feet.”