Sohail Abbas, Pakistan Hockey Team - Best Defender

Sohail Abbas

A field hockey defender, penalty corner specialist and former captain of the Pakistan Hockey Team. He is the highest goal scorer in the history of field hockey, with his current goal tally at 348, as of 9 Aug 2012.

In a country where cricket is considered next to religion, the young generation never did get the right kind of exposure to the national game, hockey. In such times one young lad who found his true calling in this very near death sport, Sohail Abbas a Karachite has literally brought Pakistan back to this wonderfully green game.

Born on June 09, 1977, Sohail received his early education from the infamous Habib Public School which has nurtured many other hockey stars of this nation. His talent surfaced later in his life and it took him quite a while to prove his worth. The Pakistan Junior Squad thought however, his potential was put to maximum and he had to face much criticism during and after his game-play against the German Juniors.

Later on he was dropped from the junior squad but the next year only he made his debut on the national team and since then he has never looked back. He is the one who brought Pakistan victory against China after 20 years in the Asian Games and stands today as the highest goal scorer in the history of field hockey.

A father of two, a loving husband and a son of one proud mother, our nation salutes a man who did not follow the leagues of today and chose to pick a career, others ridiculed him for.

His style of scoring goals on penalty corners has always been same. Drag-Flick and goal. Its such an effective and powerful one that despite opponents knowing that he will use it, they do not have any counter for that. After all, for a ball coming to goals like a bolt, cannot be stopped.

This technique has earned Sohail Abbas a special place in Pakistani hockey team as a 'Penalty Corner Specialist'. Now if Sohail is in team, and team gets a penalty corner, chances are quite high that score board will tick. Sohail Abbas has pioneered a unique style and a strong technique which many players and team around the world have emulated. He has earned Pakistan some crucial victories and has always been a hallmark of Pakistani hockey team.

Today, Sohail Abbas holds the world record for highest number of goals in hockey, which is an amazing record and achievement for any player. 

Pakistan will always be proud of Sohail Abbas.