Pakistan’s most stylish and legendary hockey player Fazalur Rehman, better known as Bila Lala, who won World Cup for Pakistan was laid to rest in his native village in Abbottabad on Thursday.
The 84-year-old had passed away on Wednesday.
The exceptional athlete made it to the Pakistan national hockey team in the 1960s and was part of the team that won gold medals in the Sumer Olympics in Mexico, the Asian Games, and the first Hockey World Cup.
According to family sources, the great Olympian passed away after a prolonged illness.
He, with his crafty stickwork and command over the ball, used to make a formidable defence against his opponents and played a key role in crucial victories.
In one such crucial match against India in the semifinals of an Olympic contest, the iconic athlete scored a memorable goal that remained imprinted on the minds of fans for the rest of his life.
It was a time when the most luminous star on Pakistan hockey’s horizon, star Saeed Anwar, had missed two goals on penalty strokes in the previous game.
Hundreds of people from different walks of life including sports participated in the funeral prayers.
Abbottabad was where he began his sporting career as a hockey player and played for Mardan Sugar Mills.
This hockey journey continued till 1964 and in 1965, he made it to the Pakistan national hockey team.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 10th, 2023.
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