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. 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NEW YORK -- Cole Hamels and the rollin Texas Rangers are making winning look easy.Hamels breezed through seven shutout innings to win his fourth consecutive start, Adrian Beltre homered and drove in three runs, and Texas trounced the New York Yankees 7-1 on Tuesday night.Just a masterful job by Cole, Rangers manager Jeff Banister said. We know that if we can get him a lead, he pitches very well from in front. He controls the game.One night after Texas rallied to win at 2:44 a.m. following a 3 1/2-hour rain delay in the ninth inning, the Rangers again played with plenty of spunk and energy. Theyve won four in a row, 12 of 14 and 20 of 25, improving the American Leagues top record to 51-27 with their eighth straight victory away from home.We dont need the superstardom, Hamels said. Were very goal-oriented, were very focused and were very balanced.Yankees slugger Carlos Beltran left in the first with a tight right hamstring. He had an MRI that was clean and is day to day, manager Joe Girardi said.This homestand has not went the way we wanted it so far and we need to turn it around, Girardi said following his teams third straight defeat.Hamels (9-1) yielded six harmless singles and struck out seven, winning his ninth consecutive decision on the road dating to last August. He is 16-2 since getting traded from Philadelphia to Texas last summer and has already compiled excellent credentials for this years All-Star Game, to be played two weeks from Tuesday in his San Diego hometown.Its always been a goal from the first moment that I heard that San Diego was going to have it, he said.Hamels threw only 86 pitches and beat the Yankees for the first time in five career tries -- including the 2009 World Series. He has a 0.65 ERA in his last four outings, and his recent dominance has been particularly important for the Rangers with rotation mates Colby Lewis, Derek Holland and Yu Darvish on the disabled list.In a matchup of accomplished left-handers, CC Sabathia (5-5) pitched into the eighth inning for the first time in a year -- but thats where it all fell apart for him. Trailing 2-0, he nicked leadoff man Shin-Soo Choo on the hand with a pitch and was unable to corral Ian Desmonds comebacker, which went for an infield single.Beltres bad-hop RBI single got past third baseman Chase Headley, and Prince Fielder chased Sabathia with a run-scoring double that made it 4-0.Just a frustrating night, Sabathia said. If I can either makke the play or get out of the way, I have a double play right there.ddddddddddddPinch hitter Nomar Mazara, Rougned Odor and Jurickson Profar each added an RBI single against Anthony Swarzak to cap a five-run outburst that broke the game open. Texas has scored 39 runs in its last five games.We should have been out of that inning with no runs, Girardi said.Sabathia, who twice rolled his right ankle during his previous start, was charged with six runs and eight hits in seven-plus innings.Beltre, who got the go-ahead hit around 2:30 a.m. in the series opener, lofted a two-run homer in the first to the short porch in right field. Desmond and Beltre both finished with three hits.Amazing amount of energy, Hamels said. He really shows you why he loves this game and why you should love the game of baseball. Hes a tremendous talent and one of the best leaders Ive ever been around.GET BACK THEREOdor got a rare order in the eighth -- he twice was told to get back in the on-deck circle by plate umpire Paul Nauert. Odor was near the backstop, drifting far from the dugout, as Mazara batted. Odor had a playful smile as he moved back to his proper place.ROAD WARRIORSHamels is 6-0 with a 1.44 ERA in eight starts away from home this season. ... Texas has won five straight games at Yankee Stadium for the first time. ... The Rangers have won 15 of their last 18 road games.TRAINERS ROOMRangers: Darvish (shoulder discomfort) is scheduled to throw about 45 pitches in a three-inning simulated game Wednesday afternoon at Yankee Stadium. ... RHP Keone Kela (elbow impingement) is headed to Triple-A Round Rock to throw a simulated inning Thursday. If that goes well, his next step could be a minor league rehab assignment.Yankees: Beltran pulled a line drive into the left-field corner his first time up and broke well out of the batters box. But he pulled up with a single after rounding first and went back to the bag even when the ball initially eluded left fielder Ryan Rua. Rob Refsnyder ran for Beltran and replaced him in right field as well.UP NEXTRangers RHP Nick Martinez (1-1, 5.54 ERA) faces RHP Masahiro Tanaka (5-2, 3.01) in the third game of the four-game series Wednesday night. The 25-year-old Martinez went to college in the Bronx at nearby Fordham and is 1-0 with a 1.46 ERA in two starts at Yankee Stadium. ' ' '
