A World Cup winning field hockey goalkeeper from Pakistan, Mansoor Ahmed, reached out to India for help securing a heart transplant, on Monday, 23 April.
For the past many weeks Ahmed, who is 49 years old, has been suffering from complications from a pacemaker and stents in his heart.
Ahmed has been an icon in the Pakistani sports community since helping the country win the 1994 World Cup in Sydney, Australia. Mansoor helped Pakistan win with a penalty stroke push against Netherlands in the final.
I may have broken a lot of Indian hearts on the field by beating India in the Indira Gandhi Cup (1989) and in other events, but that was sport.Mansoor Ahmed
“Now I need a heart transplant, and for that I need support from the Indian government,” said Ahmed.
Ties between India and Pakistan, including on the sports and cultural fronts, took a nosedive after the terror attacks of 26/11 in Mumbai. New Delhi blamed Pakistani militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba, founded by designated global terrorist Hafiz Saeed, for the attacks.
Despite the strained relationship, Pakistani citizens are eligible to apply for medical visas to India. In fact, India is renowned for its booming medical tourism industry.
Ahmed has played 338 international hockey matches, and participated in three Olympics, along with a number of other high-profile events in a career spanning from 1986 to 2000. He told AFP that the visa could save his life.
“Humanity is paramount and I would be immensely obliged if I get a visa and other medical help in India,” said Ahmed.
The avenue of sports has been one of the few areas for us to improve relations between the two countries, he added.
Former Pakistan cricket captain Shahid Afridi tweeted this message after visiting Ahmed earlier in April:
India has suspended most bilateral sporting events with Pakistan since the attacks of 26/11, with high-profile cricket tours bearing the majority of the brunt of the moratorium.
However, both countries have continued to play each other in multinational events like the World Cup.
(With inputs from Hindustan Times)
Following the report, readers of The Quint expressed their overwhelming support towards Ahmed and welcomed him to India for the treatment he requires.
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