Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa has expressed heartfelt grief on the passing away of hockey legend Abdul Rashid Junior.

In a tweet on Friday morning, Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (DG ISPR) Major General Babar Iftikhar, quoting the COAS, said: “Pakistan has lost an iconic sportsman and a great human being. May Allah bless his soul and give strength to the bereaved family to bear this irreparable loss, Ameen”.

https://twitter.com/OfficialDGISPR/status/1324562640526594049

On November 4, legendary hockey player former captain Olympian Abdul Rashid Junior had died at the age of 79. He was suffering from kidney disease and was undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Islamabad.

The Olympian was considered as the best centre-forward of his time and was the only legendary athlete to win gold (1968), silver (1972), and bronze (1976) medals in the Olympic Games. By the time he retired, he had scored the most 96 international goals for Pakistan.

Rashid Jr was also the manager of the national team that won the 1994 Hockey World Cup.

Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa is a keen enthusiast of sports in Pakistan.

Earlier in April, General Bajwa had announced a fund of Rs50 million for the revival of hockey, the national game of Pakistan. “Pakistan Army always supports games especially hockey,” he had said on that occasion.