Nigeria mourns demise of Pakistani-born hockey instructor

Youth and Sports Development Minister, Solomon Dalung, has described as saddening, shocking the news of the death of a Pakistani World Hockey Federation Instructor and Course Conductor, Lt. Col. Nadeem Ahmed Bhatti, who passed on following a heart attack on Monday.

Speaking in his office when a Nigeria Hockey Federation delegation, led by its President, Mr Patrick Ukah, came to inform him about the development, Dalung described the late coach as a highly disciplined, hardworking and visionary professional, whose contributions to the repositioning of hockey in Nigeria will never be forgotten.

“He would remain evergreen in our minds. He died in active service and through his talent, contributed greatly to the improvement of bilateral relations between Nigeria and Pakistan.”

The Minister had earlier been told by the Head of Delegation that the 44-year old Instructor, who was working with Nigeria Hockey Federation under the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, courtesy of the Olympic solidarity programme, had just returned from Kaduna, where he trained young players assembled by the Kaduna Hockey Federation on the basic techniques of the game and was preparing for his return trip to Pakistan when tragedy struck.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development on behalf of the Federal Government has sent a letter of condolence to the Pakistan’s High Commissioner, Lt. Gen. (Rtd) Agha Umar Farouk, on the sudden death of the late coach and instructor.

A letter signed by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mr. Chinyeka Ohaa, reads, “it is with deep shock that we received the news of the demise of Nadeem Ahmed Bhatti, the Pakistani FHI Coach and Educator, who had been working with the Nigeria Hockey Federation….and regrets the great loss to his immediate family, the Pakistani and World Hockey family.

“He has gone though, but the memories of his prowess will continue to linger in our minds as long as the game of hockey exists in Nigeria.”

The remains of the coach were flown to Pakistan on Monday evening, where he would be buried according to Islamic rites.