Hanif Khan is another shining star on the horizon of Pakistan hockey. He was born on 5th July, 1959 in Karachi.
An aggressive forward, he was most feared by the defenders. His speed, aggression and versatility made him stand out and he was often referred to as the “Goal Scoring Machine”.
Hanif Khan is a Pakistani field hockey player. This dashing forward learned to play hockey on the streets of his hometown, Karachi. He was a member of the national squad which one the 1984 Olympic Gold Medal.
Soon after the Olympics, Hanif Khan like his other immensely talented and skilled team mates was forced to retire. Hanif Khan was later recruited by the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) to coach the national side. Hanif Khan is among one of the most important names in Pakistan hockey history.
In recent years, despite a few big names in Pakistan hockey team, the performance at international level competitions has been mediocre. Hanif Khan was one of the hockey players who used to ensure in their time that Pakistan hockey team does not lose in any competition.
It was more to their passion for the game of field hockey which led the Pakistan hockey team to major victories in world cup hockey tournaments, champions’ trophy and in the race of Olympic gold medal.
He has been associated with Pakistan hockey in one way or the other all his life. He was a Gold Medal in 1978 and 1982 World Cups in Buenos Aires and Mumbai.
He was awarded with the Pride of Performance Award by the President of Pakistan in 1984.He was also awarded with Sitara-i-Imtiaz by the President of Pakistan in 2014. His teammates include Samiuallah Khan, Hassan Sardar, Khalid Hamid, Akhtar Rasool, Islahuddinn Siddique, Qasim Zia among others. He is known as the Pride of Pakistan.
