Former India footballer, Coach And Referee Syed Shahid Hakim Passes Away On Sunday

New Delhi: Former India footballer, Coach and Referee Syed Shahid Hakim died on Sunday at a hospital in Gulbarga. He had suffered a stroke a few days ago and was admitted to a hospital, family sources said. He was 82 years old. The All India Football Federation has also condoled his death. This writer had the privilege to share the studios of All India Radio And Lok Sabha TV Channel with him during FIFA Under 17 World cup, as an expert. We used to discuss Indian Football at length. He was a man of principles and very humble and polite but he used to never hesitate to point out wrongdoings of Football Administrators.

 In his condolence message, AIFF President Mr. Praful Patel said: “It is devastating to hear that Hakim-Saab is no more. He was a member of Indian Football’s golden generation who played a stellar role in popularizing the sport in the country. His contribution to Indian Football can never be forgotten. I share the grief.”

AIFF General Secretary, Mr. Kushal Das said: “Hakim-Saab's legacy will live on. He was a legendary footballer who has been an inspiration for so many generations. My condolences to his family. We pray for his soul to rest in peace.”

Popularly referred to as Hakim-Saab, he was a member of the last national team that played in the 1960 Rome Olympics. He was also a FIFA International Referee and supervised many matches in AFC Asian Cup 1988 at Doha. At the domestic level, he was part of the triumphant Services’ Santosh Trophy squad in 1960. He was also part of the squad from 1960-66. At the club level, he played for City College Old Boys (Hyderabad), and Indian Air Force. A former Assistant coach of the Indian National team, he also coached Mahindra and Mahindra in 1998-99 and guided them to win the Durand Cup in 1998. He also coached Salgaocar SC, Hindustan FC, and Bengal Mumbai Club. He has conferred the Dhyan Chand Lifetime Achievement Award in 2017.