Daily Times

Samiullah Khan is Pakistan’s legendary field hockey player, who was nicknamed ‘The Flying Horse’ because of his great speed. He played for his country in the 1970s and 1980s. Born on September 6, 1951 in Bahawalpur, Samiullah played as a left winger and was famous for his speed, stamina and his crosses which often resulted in goals.

Samiullah showed incredible agility on the hockey field and could tear through the opponents defense with ease. Samiullah played in 151 tournaments. On top of Samiullah’s impressive record are the silver medal in the 1976 Montreal Olympics, gold medal in the Bangkok Asian Games in 1978, gold medal in the Asia Cup held in Karachi and gold in the New Delhi Asian Games. The latter two were played under his captaincy.

Samiullah retired from international hockey in 1982 and served as the manager of the team, quitting in 2005. Samiullah’s brother Kalimullah was a right winger and both brothers formed a menacing attacking line. Samiullah till date is considered as one of the best hockey players in Pakistan. Samiullah has been associated with hockey in Pakistan in one way or the other even after his retirement from international hockey. Samiullah is also nephew of Motiullah, who was member of the 1960 Rome Olympics Gold-winning Pakistan hockey side.

Published in Daily Times, June 25th, 2017.