Rasool Akhtar Kamboh (athlete)
Encyclopedia
Akhtar Rasool Kamboh is a field hockey
player and Olympian
from Pakistan
. He has three Hockey World Cup
s Gold. He played Center Half in Pakistan hockey. Akhtar is considered one of the creative geniuses in center-half recovery and ball distribution.
, formerly known as Lyallpur
. His father Dr Gulam Rasool Chaudhury Kamboh(Arain
) was himself a world-renowned hockey Olympian beside being an eminent educationist of Pakistan. Akhtar graduated from Government College Lahore. During his college days, Akhtar remained the captain
of the College Hockey team. He was awarded "Roll of Honor" and "College Color" for his excellent performance in hockey.
s of his excellence in a highly demanding position at center-half. From 1971 till 1982, Akhtar played numerous nation
al and international
matches, displaying his superior skills in hockey.
He had an exceptional technique and a knack of passing the ball to the right player at the right time. In the latter part of his hockey career, Akhtar made a great mark for himself.
He played a crucial role in Pakistan's victories in 1978 and 1982 Hockey World Cup
. In 1982, Akhtar captained the Pakistani team for the Hockey World Cup Championship
held in Bombay and won a gold medal for Pakistan by defeating India
in the finals.
After Bombay Hockey World Cup, Akhtar retired in a blaze of glory as skipper of the side which had won the gold in 1982. By then, he had the singular distinction of being the only player to have played in four World Cups.
Akhtar also played in the 1972 Summer Olympics
held at Munich
, 1976 Summer Olympics
held at Montreal
and 1980 Summer Olympics
held at Moscow
and won Silver
and Bronze
Medal
s in 1972 and 1976, respectively.
, at Bombay in 1982. He remains active in hockey by coaching or training young players in Pakistan with the primary intention of promoting Pakistani hockey.
Akhtar has held the offices of President of Punjab Sports Board; President, Punjabi Hockey Association; and President, Punjab Athletics Association. In 1997, he was elected Chief of Pakistan Hockey Federation
(PHF)---Pakistan’s hockey supreme body---for a one year term. He took over the reins at a time when the PHF was almost bankrupt and had gotten out of the 1996 players revolt just before the Hockey World Cup. He was re-elected PHF chief for a second term till 2002 but resigned in 1999 for personal reasons. He then served as the Chairman of the selection committee in 2002.
In 1983, Akhtar was awarded Pride of Performance
, the highest civil award by the Pakistani Government, in recognition of his contributions to Pakistani hockey.
. In 1986, he became Excise and Taxation Minister of Punjab. In 1988, he was elected from P.P 128 Ichhra on Islami Jamhuri Mujahid ticket and became the Sports Minister of Punjab.
In 1990, he again contested on Islami Jamhuri Mujahid ticket and was elected MLA with a big margin. In 1993, he contested Parliament seat on Muslim League
ticket and became MPA.
Akhtar had been a very close associate of Nawaz Sharif
, former Prime Minister of Pakistan.
Akhtar Rasool belongs to the Punjabi Kamboh (Kamboj
) tribe
.
Field hockey
Field Hockey, or Hockey, is a team sport in which a team of players attempts to score goals by hitting, pushing or flicking a ball into an opposing team's goal using sticks...
player and Olympian
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
from Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
. He has three Hockey World Cup
Hockey World Cup
The Hockey World Cup is an international field hockey competition organised by the International Hockey Federation . The tournament was started in 1971...
s Gold. He played Center Half in Pakistan hockey. Akhtar is considered one of the creative geniuses in center-half recovery and ball distribution.
Background and education
Akhtar was born on January 13, 1954 in Faislabad District of PakistanPakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
, formerly known as Lyallpur
Lyallpur
Lyallpur may refer to* the former name of Faisalabad city, Pakistan* Lyallpur Town, a municipal area of Faisalabad city, Pakistan...
. His father Dr Gulam Rasool Chaudhury Kamboh(Arain
Arain
The Arain , are a Muslim agricultural caste settled mainly in the Punjab, with significant numbers also in Sindh. They are chiefly associated with farming, traditionally being landlords or zamindars.- Origin :...
) was himself a world-renowned hockey Olympian beside being an eminent educationist of Pakistan. Akhtar graduated from Government College Lahore. During his college days, Akhtar remained the captain
Captain (sports)
In team sports, a captain is a title given to a member of the team. The title is frequently honorary, but in some cases the captain may have significant responsibility for strategy and teamwork while the game is in progress on the field...
of the College Hockey team. He was awarded "Roll of Honor" and "College Color" for his excellent performance in hockey.
As sportsman (1971-82)
Akhtar was noted for his clean style play and spectacular performance and as such was included in the Pakistani national hockey team in 1971. He was a player of relaxed approach but extreme courage, control and poise were hallmarkHallmark
A hallmark is an official mark or series of marks struck on items made of precious metals — platinum, gold, silver and in some nations, palladium...
s of his excellence in a highly demanding position at center-half. From 1971 till 1982, Akhtar played numerous nation
Nation
A nation may refer to a community of people who share a common language, culture, ethnicity, descent, and/or history. In this definition, a nation has no physical borders. However, it can also refer to people who share a common territory and government irrespective of their ethnic make-up...
al and international
International
----International mostly means something that involves more than one country. The term international as a word means involvement of, interaction between or encompassing more than one nation, or generally beyond national boundaries...
matches, displaying his superior skills in hockey.
He had an exceptional technique and a knack of passing the ball to the right player at the right time. In the latter part of his hockey career, Akhtar made a great mark for himself.
He played a crucial role in Pakistan's victories in 1978 and 1982 Hockey World Cup
Hockey World Cup
The Hockey World Cup is an international field hockey competition organised by the International Hockey Federation . The tournament was started in 1971...
. In 1982, Akhtar captained the Pakistani team for the Hockey World Cup Championship
Championship
Championship is a term used in sport to refer to various forms of competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion.- Title match system :...
held in Bombay and won a gold medal for Pakistan by defeating India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
in the finals.
After Bombay Hockey World Cup, Akhtar retired in a blaze of glory as skipper of the side which had won the gold in 1982. By then, he had the singular distinction of being the only player to have played in four World Cups.
Akhtar also played in the 1972 Summer Olympics
1972 Summer Olympics
The 1972 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XX Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Munich, West Germany, from August 26 to September 11, 1972....
held at Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
, 1976 Summer Olympics
1976 Summer Olympics
The 1976 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXI Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event celebrated in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, in 1976. Montreal was awarded the rights to the 1976 Games on May 12, 1970, at the 69th IOC Session in Amsterdam, over the bids of Moscow and...
held at Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
and 1980 Summer Olympics
1980 Summer Olympics
The 1980 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event celebrated in Moscow in the Soviet Union. In addition, the yachting events were held in Tallinn, and some of the preliminary matches and the quarter-finals of the football tournament...
held at Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
and won Silver
Silver
Silver is a metallic chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal...
and Bronze
Bronze
Bronze is a metal alloy consisting primarily of copper, usually with tin as the main additive. It is hard and brittle, and it was particularly significant in antiquity, so much so that the Bronze Age was named after the metal...
Medal
Medal
A medal, or medallion, is generally a circular object that has been sculpted, molded, cast, struck, stamped, or some way rendered with an insignia, portrait, or other artistic rendering. A medal may be awarded to a person or organization as a form of recognition for athletic, military, scientific,...
s in 1972 and 1976, respectively.
After retirement
Akhtar retired from active hockey after winning Hockey World CupHockey World Cup
The Hockey World Cup is an international field hockey competition organised by the International Hockey Federation . The tournament was started in 1971...
, at Bombay in 1982. He remains active in hockey by coaching or training young players in Pakistan with the primary intention of promoting Pakistani hockey.
Akhtar has held the offices of President of Punjab Sports Board; President, Punjabi Hockey Association; and President, Punjab Athletics Association. In 1997, he was elected Chief of Pakistan Hockey Federation
Pakistan Hockey Federation
The Pakistan Hockey Federation is the national governing body for field hockey in Pakistan. It is affiliated to the International Hockey Federation .The current PHF president is Qasim Zia.- History :...
(PHF)---Pakistan’s hockey supreme body---for a one year term. He took over the reins at a time when the PHF was almost bankrupt and had gotten out of the 1996 players revolt just before the Hockey World Cup. He was re-elected PHF chief for a second term till 2002 but resigned in 1999 for personal reasons. He then served as the Chairman of the selection committee in 2002.
In 1983, Akhtar was awarded Pride of Performance
Pride of Performance
Pride of Performance , is one of the highest civil award given and conferred by the Pakistan Government to Pakistan's citizens in recognition of distinguished merit in the fields of Literature, Arts, Sports, Medicines, and Science for civilians in most particular cases.The announcement of civil...
, the highest civil award by the Pakistani Government, in recognition of his contributions to Pakistani hockey.
In active politics
After retirement from active hockey, Akhtar entered politics in 1985. He contested as an independent and was elected MLA to Punjab AssemblyProvincial Assembly of the Punjab
The Provincial Assembly of the Punjab is a unicameral legislature of elected representatives of the province of Punjab, which is located in Lahore in eastern Pakistan...
. In 1986, he became Excise and Taxation Minister of Punjab. In 1988, he was elected from P.P 128 Ichhra on Islami Jamhuri Mujahid ticket and became the Sports Minister of Punjab.
In 1990, he again contested on Islami Jamhuri Mujahid ticket and was elected MLA with a big margin. In 1993, he contested Parliament seat on Muslim League
Pakistan Muslim League
The Pakistan Muslim League was founded in 1962, as a successor to the previously disbanded Muslim League in Pakistan. Unlike the original PML which ended in 1958 when General Ayub Khan banned all political parties, each subsequent Muslim League was in some way propped by the military dictators of...
ticket and became MPA.
Akhtar had been a very close associate of Nawaz Sharif
Nawaz Sharif
Mian Mohammad Nawaz Sharif is a Pakistani conservative politician and steel magnate who served as 12th Prime Minister of Pakistan in two non-consecutive terms from November 1990 to July 1993, and from February 1997 to October 12, 1999...
, former Prime Minister of Pakistan.
Akhtar Rasool belongs to the Punjabi Kamboh (Kamboj
Kamboj
The Kambojs , also Kamboh, are an ethnic community of the Punjab region. They may relate to the Kambojas, an Iranian tribe known to the people of Iron Age India and mentioned in ancient Sanskrit texts and epigraphy. Kamboj is frequently used as a surname in lieu of the sub-caste or the gotra name...
) tribe
Tribe
A tribe, viewed historically or developmentally, consists of a social group existing before the development of, or outside of, states.Many anthropologists use the term tribal society to refer to societies organized largely on the basis of kinship, especially corporate descent groups .Some theorists...
.
See also
- Pakistan Hockey FederationPakistan Hockey FederationThe Pakistan Hockey Federation is the national governing body for field hockey in Pakistan. It is affiliated to the International Hockey Federation .The current PHF president is Qasim Zia.- History :...
- Ghulam Rasool Chaudhury Kamboh
- Arshad Chaudhury Kamboh (athlete)Arshad Chaudhury Kamboh (athlete)Arshad Chaudhury is an international hockey player from Pakistan. He was born on April 10, 1950 in Faislabad District of Punjab, Pakistan. He is son of Chaudhry Sadique Salar and the nephew of the world renowned hockey legend of Pakistan, Dr Gulam Rasool Chaudhury.Arshad did his B.A...
- Prithipal SinghPrithipal SinghPrithipal Singh was an Indian field hockey nicknamed the “King of short corner” by hockey commentators. He participated in the Olympic field hockey three times and each time he scored the highest number of goals as a single player...
- KambojasKambojasThe Kambojas were a kshatriya tribe of Iron Age India, frequently mentioned in Sanskrit and Pali literature.They were an Indo-Iranian tribe situated at the boundary of the Indo-Aryans and the Iranians, and appear to have moved from the Iranian into the Indo-Aryan sphere over time.The Kambojas...
- KambojKambojThe Kambojs , also Kamboh, are an ethnic community of the Punjab region. They may relate to the Kambojas, an Iranian tribe known to the people of Iron Age India and mentioned in ancient Sanskrit texts and epigraphy. Kamboj is frequently used as a surname in lieu of the sub-caste or the gotra name...
External links
- Akhtar Rasool - Great Center Half of Pakistan Hockey: http://www.pakistan-hockey.com/akhtar-rasool.php
- Akhtar Rasool: http://www.phf.com.pk/legends/middle.php?name=30