Hasan Sardar – the Hockey Wizard
Hasan sardar is the best center forward Pakistan hockey has so far. Hasan Sardar’s body dodging was awesome. He played a big rule in the victories of World Cup 1982 and Olympics 19984 in Los Angeles.
One of the top players and the name which will come to everyone’s mind when you say Pakistan centre forward will surely be Hassan Sardar. This player started his international field hockey career in the year 1980. His flow and love for the game was so high that within two years time, he played in his first hockey world cup in the year 1982. No player can make it big all by himself. Many factors have to come together for a star like Hassan Sardar to be successful.
Hassan Sardar’s determination, skill and team helped him achieve major feats. One such achievement is a world record that he created in 1982 that hasn’t been broken by any other player in the world till date. With fellow team mates Hanif Khan, Samiullah, Kalimullah and Shanaz Sheikh, Hassan Sardar formed the world’s top forward line. They worked extremely efficiently as a team and the outcome being Hassan Sardar scored eleven goals in the tournament and Pakistan won the gold.
This former hockey player was born on 22nd October 1957 and his achievements don’t just end with the world cup hockey. There are many more major tournaments and events that he has participated in and succeeded in. In the Asaid tournament in 1982 when the team played against their on field arch rivals India, Hassan Sardar held his cool. While the Indian team couldn’t handle the pressure, Hassan Sardar scored a memorable hat trick and led his team to another glorious victory.
Another feather in his cap of victories was the Gold medal that the Pakistan team won at the Olympics in the year 1984. His team spirit and the never say die attitude carried the team forward to this outstanding victory. He was also awarded with the honor of being the man of the match at the world cup hockey 1982, Asaid 1982 and the Olympics 1984. The Pride of Performance was bestowed on this player in the year 1984.
Hassan Sardar played at a time when Pakistan hockey was at its best. Though his career was a pretty short one which lasted just over six years, he surely made it an era of victories and pride.
His major strengths that any opposition team dreaded were his dribbling and body dodge. These two moves were perfected by Hassan Sardar and many an opposition teams just couldn’t hold on to their defenses when he charged. His goals tally stands at 180 goals.
Hassan Sardar retired from international field hockey but has never let hockey leave him. He managed the Pakistan hockey team for a while and even today he is a concerned and worried activist about the current Pakistan hockey team. He feels that hockey has changed over the years, with technology and latest methods coming in, its time Pakistan hockey too moved ahead and reclaimed its position as the world number one.
