Syed Shahid Hakim
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A brief biography
Krishnaprasad PV, August 23, 2021: The Times of India
Hakim was part of India’s 1960 football team at Rome Olympics.
Hakim saab, as he was fondly called, had tested positive for Covid-19 last July but recovered after struggling to find a hospital bed at the peak of the second wave of the pandemic. He was last seen in public at a felicitation function organised by the Telangana Football Association (TFA) on Independence day.
A central midfielder, who played for City College Old Boys locally and Indian Air Force, Hakim’s pet peeve was the lack of playing time at the Rome Olympics, where the team which had seven players who plied their trade in Hyderabad and the coach — SA Rahim — who was also his father. That was the last time an Indian football team qualified for the Olympics.
Folklore has it that the coach was unmoved by Chuni Goswami’s plea to consider playing his son — Hakim — against Peru as they had already lost to Hungary and France in Rome. Hakim had to contend with the likes of Ram Bahadur, Mariappa Kempaiah and Prashanta Sinha for a place in the side.
Hakim’s association with the game continued well after his playing days. He was an assistant coach to the late PK Banerjee at the 1982 Asian Games in Delhi. Guiding the erstwhile Mahindra & Mahindra to the Durand Cup title in 1998 at the expense of a formidable East Bengal team was a definite feather in his cap. His coaching stints included those with Salgaocar, Hindustan FC and Bengal Mumbai FC in 2004-05.
A former squadron leader of the Indian Air Force, Hakim won Santosh Trophy for Services in 1960 and continued to be a part of the squad till 1966. He was also a FIFA international referee and officiated in 33 international games, including the 1988 AFC Asian Cup in Qatar. He was also a regional director of Sports Authority of India and his last assignment was as project director in charge of scouting before the 2017 U-17 FIFA World Cup. Hakim was the second footballer to win the prestigious Dhyan Chand award in 2017.
Tributes poured in. Former Indian coach and Dronacharya award winner Shabbir Ali was shocked. “I knew him since my playing days. He was a good sports administrator and a referee too,” he said. “It’s shocking to know about the death of Hakim saab. RIP, Hakim bhai,” said former Indian captain and coach Syed Nayeemuddin.
Former India captain Victor Amalraj said: “I have a lot of memories with Hakim bhai. My sincere condolences to the bereaved family,” he said. (With agency inputs)
