Shahbaz Ahmed

Shahbaz Ahmad is a former Pakistani field hockey player who earned the nickname 'Shahbaz Senior'. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest forwards in the history of the sport.

Early life and education

Shahbaz Ahmad was born on 1 September 1968. He comes from an Arain family.

Career

The national hockey team called him up for the first time in 1986. He eventually became the captain of the national side, which led the team to victory during the 1994 Men's Hockey World Cup. During the 1994 World Cup in Sydney, Australia, he executed a famous run against Australia that remains legendary. In that specific pool match, he intercepted a free hit and drew a defender before passing the ball to Kamran Ashraf for a goal.

His career includes representing Pakistan in several major international tournaments. He competed in the Champions Trophy during 1986, 1987, 1988 and 1989. He also played in the 3rd Asia Cup in New Delhi in 1989, the 1990 Hockey World Cup in Lahore, and the 11th Asian Games in Beijing in 1990. After the 1996 Atlanta Games, he moved to Europe to play for professional clubs. He played for the Dutch club Oranje Zwart and the German club Harvestehuder THC from Hamburg for two years.

He participated in three Olympic Games throughout his career. He won a bronze medal at the 1992 Olympics. While he was no longer captain, he returned to play in the 1998 and 2002 Men's Hockey World Cups.

Shahbaz Ahmad holds the record for the most caps among Pakistanis. He played a total of 304 international games. Because of his exceptional skill, people often refer to him as the Maradona of Hockey.

Personal life

Shahbaz Ahmed retired from professional field hockey in 2002. In 2010, he served as the district manager of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) in Saudi Arabia. He later transitioned into sports administration when he was appointed Secretary General of the Pakistan Hockey Federation in 2015.

Awards and recognition

He is recognized for his unique agility, ball control and body dodge techniques. Shahbaz Ahmad is the only player in field hockey history to win two consecutive 'Player of the Tournament' awards. He earned these honors at the 1990 World Cup in Lahore and the 1994 World Cup in Sydney. His medal collection includes gold medals from the 1989 Asia Cup, the 1990 Asian Games, the 1994 Champions Trophy and the 1994 World Cup.

He also earned silver medals at the 1988 Champions Trophy, the 1990 BMW Trophy in Amsterdam and the 1990 Hockey World Cup in Lahore. He secured a bronze medal during the 1986 Champions Trophy. The Government of Pakistan awarded him the President's Pride of Performance Award in 1992. Additionally, the President of Pakistan decorated him with the Hilal-i-Pakistan award.