Former hockey star Naveed Alam dies after a cancer battle – Sport

Naveed Alam, an Olympic and member of the 1994 hockey world championship winning team, died Tuesday after a cancer battle, his family said. He was 47 years old.

Alam, who was recently diagnosed with blood cancer, was given chemotherapy in Lahore yesterday, after which his condition deteriorated. He was immediately transferred to the hospital where he died.

Four days ago, a former secretary of the Pakistani Hockey Federation (PHF), retired Colonel Mudassar Asghar, had called on the government and PHF to help Alami, who had recently been diagnosed with blood cancer.

Naveed was a member of Pakistan’s 1994 World Cup winning team; he was a fighter and a great backbone. At this point, Naveed needs financial and moral help from the government, PHF and other hockey stakeholders because anyone can face such difficulties in life, former Olympic Mudassar had said.

The Pakistan Cricket Board also expressed grief over Alam’s death.

Alam had also served as the head of the Pakistani hockey team at the Beijing Olympics in 2008. Pakistan had finished eighth in the 2008 Olympics, after which he was caught up in a legal battle in the PHF election in which Qasim Zia and Asif Bajwa were elected president and secretary.

The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) had also appointed Alam as Development Director and Domestic Director in 2016.