World's oldest Olympian passes away

The world's oldest Olympic gold medallist, Feroze Khan, who won a gold medal for India in hockey at the 1928 Games in Amsterdam, has passed away.

Feroze, who celebrated his 100th birthday last year, on September 9, died in Karachi on Wednesday.

Also see: Feroze Khan at 99

Feroze became the oldest living Olympic champion after United States' James Rockefeller died last year.

Feller won a gold medal in rowing in the 1924 Paris Olympics and, according to International Olympic Committee records, was the oldest living Olympian, with Feroze next.

Born in Jalandhar, India, Feroze started playing hockey using a tree branch. He later became a member of the 1928 Olympic squad. He never represented Pakistan but was a selector when Pakistan won its first Olympic gold in the 1960 Rome Olympics and also the gold in the Asian Games.

Former Pakistan captain Anwar Ahmad Khan felt Pakistan has lost a brilliant hockey personality who contributed a lot to the sport in the country after Independence in 1947.

"I am deeply saddened by his death. Mr Feroze of Bombay Customs and Shaukat Ali of Calcutta Customs were perhaps the only Muslims in the 1928 Indian hockey squad that clinched the gold. He was a fine selector and our mentor."

According to Anwar, who played for Pakistan from 1956 to 1966, Feroze was born in the 'Pathanoon ki Bastian' in Jalandhar and played for Uttar Pradesh, Aligarh University and Bombay Customs.

He said Feroze was in the group of Bombay and Calcutta Customs officers who formed the Pakistan Customs side, in 1955, which produced several stars.