Thousands bid emotional farewell as hockey legend Mohammed Shahid laid to rest

Varanasi: The moment was poignant and there were tears in everybody's eyes as former Olympians along with thousansds of sportslovers bid final adieu to hockey wizard Mohammed Shahid as he was laid to rest at Taktakpur graveyard on Thursday afternoon.

With the arrival of Shahid's mortal remain at his residence on Maqbool Alam road from Delhi last night, hundreds of his relatives and admirers had gathered.

Shahid's best friend Zafar Iqbal along with Olympians Ashok Kumar, Sujit Kumar, RP Singh, Shaqil Ahmed and Sardar Singh offered their tributes. Politicians cutting across party lines also paid homage to Shahid.

It was World Cup winner Ashok Kumar and best friend Iqbal, who wrapped Shahid's body with Indian tri-colour. The mortal remains was taken inside Dayam Khan mosque to offer Janaze-ki-Namaaz and later it marched again towards the graveyard.

Call it irony, Shahid was laid to rest in Taktakpur graveyard, which is located few hundred yards away from the Police Lines ground, where a young talent bloomed and the veteran artist was at work during his last charity match on 2011.

The last rites were performed in front of UP minister Ram Sakal Gurjar, DIG range Sanjiv Gupta, district magistrate VK Anand and SSP Akash Kulhary.