Khalid Mahmood, a former captain of Pakistan’s national hockey team and one of the country’s respected Olympic-era players, died on Thursday, September 10, after a long illness. He was 84 years old. His son confirmed that funeral prayers were held in Faisalabad the following day.
Born on December 28, 1941, in Jhelum, Khalid built a hockey career that spanned some of Pakistan’s most celebrated sporting years. Playing in the right-out position, he was part of the national squad that won a silver medal at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. Two years later, he represented Pakistan again at the 1966 Asian Games, where the team once more took home silver.
His biggest achievement came at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics, where he was part of the Pakistan team that won the gold medal. He continued his winning run with another gold at the 1970 Asian Games in Bangkok. He later also featured in Pakistan’s victorious squad at the 1971 Hockey World Cup in Barcelona.
Beyond playing, Khalid served the sport in administrative roles as well, working as secretary of the Pakistan Hockey Federation and later as manager of the national team.
Following news of his death, tributes poured in from the hockey community, including the International Hockey Federation, the Asian Hockey Federation, former Olympians, and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who expressed grief over the loss of a player who had brought honour to Pakistan on the world stage.
