Khan’s legacy is a testament to excellence, integrity, and unwavering passion—a proud chapter in the rich history of Bhopal’s contribution to Indian field hockey and a shining example for future generations.
Bhopal, the capital state of Madhya Pradesh, is inextricably linked to the Bhopal Gas Tragedy. That fateful night, the city witnessed one of the world’s worst industrial disasters. Thousands died within days, and countless more suffered from chronic health issues from methyl isocyanate, with the exact number of casualties still debated.
However, beneath the pall of tragedy and the scars it left lies a different Bhopal, an ancient India. The city, veiled in the memories of the tragic night of December 1984, also boasts a rich tapestry of sports history – in India’s National Game.
Ahmed Sher Khan, Abdul Waheed Khan, Ahsan Mohammed Khan, Inam-ur Rahman, Aslam Sher Khan, Shahid Noor, Syed Jalaluddin Rizvi, Sameer Dad, Anwar Ahmed Khan, Akhtar Hussain, Latif-ur Rehman, and Habibur Rehman to name a few, the uncelebrated lives of Bhopal’s hockey players reflect a dedication to sport and national pride that deserves recognition.
Photo courtesy The Week
Talk about India’s 1975 Hockey World Cup victory, and the indelible image of Aslam Sher Khan, a pivotal figure in Kuala Lumpur that year, will come to life with his hockey stick once again. Born into a legacy of sporting excellence, Aslam inherited a passion for hockey and a profound understanding of its nuances. Aslam Sher Khan’s father, Ahmed Sher Khan, has an Olympic gold medal from the 1936 Berlin Games.
When TSC’s Ravi Mandapaka got in touch with the legend of Aslam Sher Khan, he remembered his father as an inspiration and said, “My father, Ahmed Sher Khan, is an Olympic gold medallist. Witnessing his success motivated me and instilled in me the belief that I could become an Olympic champion. His profound influence on our family set a bright path for me. I looked up to him from a young age, learning extensively from his legendary coaching and playing career. His unwavering self-belief and determination to become an Olympic champion deeply influenced my aspirations.”
Talking about hockey and the technique, Aslam credited his father for shaping his playing style and game. He says, “Undoubtedly, my father’s influence as a human and on my game was monumental. As an Olympic champion and seasoned coach, his expertise was the bedrock of my development. With his guidance, I embarked on a journey that saw me represent numerous teams, from my school and university to state associations. His pivotal mentorship propelled me forward with unwavering determination and commitment to excellence.”
In India, Sher Khan played for many prestigious teams like the Indian school team, Vikram University Team, and Bhopal State Association team before joining the Indian Airlines Hockey Team. Despite facing challenges and obstacles back then, he remained committed to his passion for sports and pursued his Indian dreams with determination and perseverance.
His playing career saw him grace the stages of some of hockey’s most illustrious tournaments. Examples include the Nehru Hockey Tournament, Aga Khan Diamond Jubilee Tournament, Beighton Cup, and Obaidullah Gold Cup. These tournaments served as crucibles of competition and offered Sher Khan the platform to showcase his talents against elite teams from across the globe.
During our conversation, Sher Khan reflected on the historic prowess of the Indian and Pakistani hockey teams, which have long stood as towering giants in the legions of the sport. Historically, the subcontinental teams exhibited unparalleled prowess and mastery over the sport and consistently outclassed their European counterparts for decades. And even after their bifurcation post-independence, India and Pakistan teams continued to exhibit a natural and distinctive style of play characterized by intricate short passes, strategic mind games, and deft manoeuvring—skills that epitomized their hockey supremacy and proved insurmountable for European adversaries. This supremacy, deeply rooted in their adeptness on natural surfaces, became a formidable barrier for European teams to surmount.
In a calculated endeavour to dismantle this hegemony, European authorities introduced artificial turf and instigated a series of rule changes. The strategic imposition of synthetic playing surfaces fundamentally altered the game’s balance in favour of European teams. Among these modifications, the implementation of rolling substitutions epitomized the shift, which challenged the traditional and stylistic foundations of Indian and Pakistani hockey.
Sher Khan elucidates that these alterations were not merely procedural but were orchestrated maneuvers aimed at dethroning the dominant subcontinental teams. While ostensibly modernizing the sport, the new regulations inherently disadvantaged the artistic playstyles that had brought India and Pakistan their legendary success. This pivot towards artificial turf and rule changes like rolling substitutions signified a profound and deliberate shift designed to recalibrate the competitive landscape of international hockey, much to the detriment of its erstwhile champions.
Khan astutely observes that the contemporary iteration of the sport has evolved into something nearly unrecognizable, resembling an “alien game.” The sport, once characterized by the intuitive and culturally ingrained techniques of the subcontinental teams, has been eclipsed by foreign influences and alterations in regulations and playing conditions.
Consequently, Sher Khan advocates for reinstating Indian coaches at the helm of the national teams. He emphasizes that only those deeply rooted in the traditional Indian style can truly nurture and elevate it. Foreign or European coaches need help to adequately grasp the intrinsic understanding of the subcontinental approach to hockey (attacking style) that emphasizes skillful dodging and precise passing. Thus, he underscores the necessity of entrusting the stewardship of Indian hockey to those who are intimately familiar with its rich legacy and natural style.
Reflecting on the prolonged hiatus since India’s last triumph in the Hockey World Cup, Aslam Sher Khan critically analyses the factors contributing to the team’s diminished success over recent decades. Central to his argument is the introduction of AstroTurf in the 1976 Montreal Olympics and the accompanying overhaul of the game’s rules, games driven by European influence.
Khan attributes India’s decline to these fundamental changes and asserts that European authorities’ authorities’ play fundamentally diverged from the traditional Indian game. He points to a significant oversight by the Indian hockey federation, which failed to protest these sweeping changes. According to Khan, this lack of opposition allowed the imposition of a style of hockey in which India could not thrive, presenting an insurmountable challenge for a nation then classified as a developing country.
The financial burden of installing AstroTurf across the country further exacerbated the issue. Unlike natural grass, the artificial surface requires substantial investment and considerably strained India’s resources. Moreover, India’s climatic conditions in the subcontinent are not conducive to maintaining AstroTurf, which performs optimally in Europe’s cool European climates.
Khan’s critique underscores the incompatibility of the new rules and surfaces with the Indian style of play, which historically relied on skillful maneuvers, short passes, and strategic play—attributes ill-suited to the faster, more physically demanding game on AstroTurf. This seismic shift, he argues, has not only disadvantaged Indian players but also diluted the essence of what made Indian hockey formidable on the global stage.
Courtesy Times of India
Amongst the myriad players he has had the privilege to share the turf with, two names shimmer with particular brilliance in his reminiscences: Inam-ur Rahman and Balbir Singh Garewal. In Aslam’s estimation, their prowess stands unparalleled. Aslam also reserves a distinguished place for Ajit Pal Singh and Ashok Kumar.
Anand Datla, a researcher at Texas A&M and a columnist with the Economic Times, believes that Aslam Sher Khan made an indelible impression on Indian hockey. He says, “Sher Khan embodies the spirit of a lion amidst the tumultuous journey of Indian hockey. Just as he revived the team with a last-minute goal in the 1975 World Cup semifinal, he also pursued legal action against the formidable Narinder Batra in Delhi. The 2022 verdict curtailed Batra’s influence on the way for the CoA and instilled fresh optimism for Indian hockey’s future.
Aslam Sher Khan’s journey from a young boy in Bhopal to the World Cup reminds us of those who continue to nurture and develop hockey in India. We must respect and support them.
excellent article Ravi..hope many more to come on legends like Inam-ur-Rehman
Ashok Kumar, Ajit Pal Singh, etc
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