Former India hockey goalkeeper and Olympic medallist Muneer Sait expressed concern over the serious condition of Ravinder Pal Singh and M.K. Kaushik, who are both battling COVID-19 in Lucknow and New Delhi.
Sait, who won a bronze medal in the 1968 Mexico Olympics and was regarded one of the finest custodians, was a National selector when Ravinder Pal and Kaushik were first picked for the country in the late 1970s.
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The 80-year-old Sait told Sportstar on Friday, “This is a shocking piece of news. Ravinder Pal was a fine centre-half and Kaushik a lively right winger.
“I pray to the almighty that both make a speedy recovery. This is a disturbing piece of news.”
Skill and speed
Sait recalled, “I remember watching Ravinder Pal in a tournament here and was immediately struck by his skill level, fluidity and distribution. I was sitting next to IHF boss M.A.M. Ramaswamy and he said to me, ‘this boy plays very well.’”
The octogenarian said, “Ravinder Pal, a simple quiet player, was duly roped in for India. And Kaushik caught the eye with his speed and thrust. He too was selected.”
The former India goalkeeper added, “Both Ravinder Pal and Kaushik had a rewarding career for the country, winning the Gold medal in the 1980 Moscow Olympics. And Kaushik also became a successful coach.”
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Good team
Sait said, “India had a very good team then. Ravinder Pal as centre-half and then Kaushik, Meryvn Fernandes, Mohammed Shahid and Jalaluddin in the forward line. Zafar Iqbal joined them later.”
The remarkably fit Sait concluded, “Right now my thoughts are with Ravinder Pal and Kaushik and their families.”
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