SAIYED Ali Sibtain Naqvi holds a unique distinction of representing both India and Oman in the field of hockey. During the 2002 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia, a commemorative postage stamp was issued in his name, being a senior administrator among the National Olympic Committees. Naqvi won several national and international honours, including a Lifetime Sports Achievement Award by the Government of Oman. A short film “Evergreen Ace” based on his life was released in 2007. In a candid interview with Inam Abidi Amrohvi, he shared glimpses from his life, and the role hockey played in it.
“I was born at Amroha on the 10th of Dec, 1929 (the schools’ records showed the year as 1932). Being a survivor of the 1942 Quit India Movement, I remember how students were used for political purposes. I was a student of class Xth in the Govt High School, Sitapur (UP), when India celebrated independence. Continue reading “From the diary of a hockey legend”