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Former India captain Jude Felix pays tribute to his team-mate and idol, Mohammad Shahid, who he calls one of the greatest of all time.There has been a massive outpouring of grief and tributes in memory of Mohammad Shahid, one of Indian hockeys most celebrated and loved players, one of the true legends of the game. What younger people will hear most about him today is this: that he represented India at three Olympic Games, including the 1980 Moscow Olympics, where India won gold for the last time. That is just the fraction of what Shahid was all about.Today I feel sorry for many of those who have missed seeing Shahid in action with their own eyes. I was one of the few privileged to have played alongside this remarkable hockey player, and to have been heavily influenced by him. Let me try and paint a picture for you, and tell you why he was so special, and will always continue to be so.I can tell you it wont be easy, because his skills are difficult to sum up in words. Shahid was not just a good player; he was one of the greatest of all time, that was the level he belonged to; one of those rare players who were amazing in all their skills. He was the perfect package -- he could dribble, pass, feint and score just as effortlessly. And mind you, that was done at lightning-quick pace.It was what made him the special one, singled out for special attention by every team, even though he played alongside very gifted teammates. Naturally, he was heavily man-marked, one defender attached to his ankles, but when any team did that, he showed off yet another aspect of his skill; he could fake a run like no one else in the game at the time. I wish more people had seen him in action, because he was an absolute wizard. If you were a paying spectator, you got to see a true delight.If you can find any old videos of Shahid in full flight, take a look and imagine what he would have been like doing those things, in front of you on a hockey field. Would Shahid have kept up with modern hockey? Definitely. He would take a defender to the corner and then make him drop to his knees, wrong footing them, sending them in one direction and creating space for himself in another and taking off.I have seen the best defenders in the world give up when faced with Shahid and his complete repertoire of skills - control, footspeed, reflexes. So I dont think he would have been any different if he was a part of modern hockey. He began playing on natural grass and he finished his career playing on astro-turf. I dont think playing in this era would have made any difference to Shahid.He belongs to that category of great players who are great across ages because they belong and they adapt. Another aspect of his game - and how the Indian team would love someone like him now - was that he could win you penalty corners from any situation.As a team, we knew that with Shahid going forward, we were going to get a number of penalty corners. Back in those days, the Indian team was much better at penalty corner conversion than it is now. When you combined his great skills on the ball with this fact that he could win you any number of penalty corners, you realise how invaluable he remained.One of the saddest days of my life was when I was put into his position (the now-rare inside-left) in the playing eleven in the 1988 Olympics. It was a proud moment for me to be playing for India at an Olympic Games; yet, it was heartbreaking to see one of my idols having to sit on the bench.Mind you, this was simply because I was a fitter, younger man at the time. Even when he did come into the team, he was played out of position as a centre-forward, and the astonishing thing for all of us was how he excelled even there.I can still distinctly remember in our Olympic match against the home team, Korea, he cut past four defenders and passed the ball to Thoiba on the left, who scored. That was the magic of Mohammad Shahid - the creator of openings, where you never expected them.Shahid was such an entertaining and attractive player that he drew the eyes of the crowd towards himself; naturally he influenced many youngsters to take up the sport. I should know, as I was one of them. I remember seeing him in the flesh for the first time when I was 15; my school -- St. Germain High School in Bangalore -- had organised a felicitation for the gold-medal winning team from the 1980 Olympic Games.Within four years, it was a dream come true to be playing alongside him for both Railways and soon afterwards for India. I am glad to say that I traveled to Varanasi to meet him in January this year, the first time we were meeting since 1988. It was like he had just disappeared after the 1988 Olympics.I had a plan of inviting him over to my academy, the Jude Felix Hockey Academy in Bangalore, where we work with orphans and other underprivileged children, and provide them with hockey training and education facilities. I had thought I would just give him a part of the field and let him show some of the basics of the game to the children, his own very original and special basics. Unfortunately, we couldnt make it happen because of his health.We kept in touch, though and it is a very sad day for me personally to know that he is gone. Naturally, Shahid definitely left an impression on those who have followed him. You see, in those days, there were no videos or coaching manuals, we used to learn everything from watching our seniors. I know for sure that we can pass on all that we want to younger players, but you wont have another like him. He was Gods gift to the world of hockey. There is and there will only be one Mohammad Shahid.(As told to Debayan Sen)Xavier Cedeno Cubs Jersey .Y. - Free agent outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury, fresh off winning the World Series with Boston, reached agreement with the rival New York Yankees on a seven-year contract worth about $153 million, a person familiar with the negotiations said Tuesday night. Stitched Cubs Jerseys . At a Manhattan federal court hearing, attorney Jordan Siev said his law office has gotten more evidence nearly every day to support its lawsuit accusing MLB and Selig of going on a "witch hunt" to ruin Rodriguezs reputation and career. He said the defendants went "way over the line. https://www.cheapcubs.com/150t-willson-contreras-jersey-cubs.html . You can watch the game live on TSN at 7:30pm et/4:30pm pt. The Flyers had won seven of eight before dropping their last two outings on consecutive days over the weekend. Philadelphia was handed a 6-3 loss by the visiting Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday afternoon before dropping a 4-1 decision to the Rangers the following night in New York City. Mark Prior Cubs Jersey . The Redskins announced Monday that the quarterback who led the team to the Super Bowl championship in the 1987 season will serve as a personnel executive. Sammy Sosa Cubs Jersey . Three came down to the fourth quarter while quarterbacks continued to shine in all four games; so important to the overall quality of the game.Hosts England will face Australia, New Zealand and Bangladesh in their group for next years ICC Champions Trophy.The tournament schedule was unveiled at The Kia Oval on Wednesday, precisely one year before the opening fixture at the home of Surrey, which pits England against Bangladesh.The eight-team event will take place over nearly three weeks, finishing on June 18 with the final, which also takes place at The Kia Oval. Eoin Morgans England and Australia will meet in the Champions Trophy next year Group B features India, Pakistan, South Africa and Sri Lanka - current Twenty20 world champions West Indies failed to qualify for the event.Englands clash with Australia will be their last game in the group stages, taking place on June 10 at Edgbaston, and they face New Zealand in Cardiff four days earlier.The mouth-watering clash between India and Pakistan will also be hosted at Edgbaston on June 4 - it will be both sides first game in the tournament. India and Pakistan will come up against one another at Edgbaston next June One-day captain Eoin Morgan is keen to first claim revenge on Bangladesh, who beat England at the World Cup in Australia last year, when the 50-over team was at just about its lowest ebb.Since then, England have been narrowly beaten in one-day series by Australia and South Africa, beaten Pakistan and made it to the World Twenty20 final.He told Sky Sports News HQ: That game sits pretty close in my memory. It was a day when they played better than us. Morgan feels England have built momentum since their World Cup disappointment This tournament will mark two years since the squad has been together and, looking forward to the 2019 World Cup, its a veery important step for us.ddddddddddddWe take a huge amount of confidence into the summer. The experience within itself creates a lot of belief within the side and I think that is very important for a young side.We have an incredible amount of talent as we have seen over the last 12 months or so. Weve seen some young guns come out and perform at their best, and thats been a huge testament to the culture we have created. ICC chief David Richardson feels the United Kingdom is an ideal host for big cricket events The United Kingdom will host three major events before the end of the decade, with the Champions Trophy followed straight after by the Womens World Cup, and then the next World Cup in 2019.And ICC chief executive David Richardson feels England and Wales are ideal hosts for such events.Richardson added: The beauty of playing events in the United Kingdom is the cultural diversity that does exist, and for some [visiting] teams its almost like they are playing at home. Surreys Kia Oval will host the Champions Trophy final That goes for all the teams, there are lots of South Africans here, New Zealanders and Australians, and of course people from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.The ICC tournaments provide some much needed context. Its great to win a series against a particular team, but in the bigger scheme of things, series by series they get lost in the wash. For an ICC event, its a bit like winning The Masters or Wimbledon.The ICC Champions Trophy 2017 is not just an ODI competition, it carries a great deal of value since it is being played just three months before the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 qualification cut-off date. As such, every point earned here could be crucial.Also See:Fixtures/resultsLive cricket on SkyGet Sky SportsCricket videos ' ' '