Expat hockey legend yearns for recognition

Muscat: A nonagenarian, Saiyed Ali Sibtain Naqvi, belongs to the golden era of Indian hockey which had legends like major Dhyanchand, Kishan Lal, and K.D. Singh Babu.
For his excellent track record the veteran player, Saiyed Naqvi was deputed jointly by the Ministry of Railways and Indian Hockey Federation in 1982, as National Hockey Coach of Sultanate of Oman for 1982 Asian Games at Delhi. With help from Omani authorities, he has single-handedly built the hockey infrastructure in Oman from 1982 to 2020.
Though the Oman government has honoured him on many occasions, the hockey giant is still waiting for the Dhyanchand award from the Indian government.
With a sense of pride Naqvi displays his 75-year collections of Sports Museum that includes trophies and mementoes from both India and Oman. Inaugurated by Dr Hammad Hamed Al Ghafri on October 15, 2018 in the presence of top sports personalities, the Sports Museum possesses his memoirs of Olympics, Asian Games and other International hockey tournaments.
Born and brought up in Lucknow, even his Arjuna Awardee students Ashok Kumar Singh, Olympian, Joquim Carvalho, Olympian, Captain and Coach of India, Rupa Saini, Olympian, Captain and Coach of India, M.M. Somaya, Olympian, Captain and Coach of India, and Mir Ranjan Negi, International and Coach of India, have recommended his name as per the government policy for the prestigious award.
Naqvi has immensely contributed to the Indian national sport between 1947 and 1982.
One of the survivors of the memorable era of Indian Hockey’, the legend had the honour to play hockey with Dada Dhyanchand, Captain of 1936 Berlin Olympics, Dada Kishan Lal, Captain of 1948 Olympics London, K.D. Singh Babu, Captain of 1952 Olympics Helsinki. Besides playing with Balbir Singh Senior, Captain 1956 Olympics Melbourne, L Cladius, Captain 1960 Olympics at Rome, Charanjit Singh, Captain 1964 at Tokyo Japan.
The sporting giant also played in the company of Captain Prithipal Singh and Guru Bux Singh 1968 Mexico. Harmik Singh, Captain 1972 Olympics at Munich. Guru Bux Singh, 1976 captain Mountrail Olympics at Canada. V. Bhaskaran, Captain of 1980 at Moscow Olympics.
Commonly known as SAS Naqvi, he was the coach of the Indian hockey team (men) in 1973 and 1975, coach of the Indian hockey team (women) in 1978 and 1979, national hockey coach of Oman in 1982, and Technical Adviser of the Oman Olympic Committee for 18 years from 1984 to 2002.
FIH and AHF have jointly awarded him with the “Lifetime achievements” awards in 2015 and was recommended in 2016 by FIH /AHF to the Govt. of India through Hockey India for Padma Shri award and I was recommended. Though, the former ambassadors of India to the Sultanate of Oman J.S. Mukul and Indramani Pandey had recommended Naqvi’s name for Padma Shri in the past and Anil Wadhwa recommended for Bhartiya Parwasi award, but Naqvi did not receive any response.
The 91-year-old-hockey veteran hopes the government of India will finally recognise his contributions to the national sport and confer him with Dhyanchand Award.