You might have watched the vice-captain of the Indian women's hockey team, Nidhi Khullar, with admiration as she played at the recently concluded Rio Olympics. But chances are that you would not have heard of Muhammad Imran, the man who coached her.
Imran, in fact, has coached more than 50 hockey players, eight of whom have played at the international level.
Other students of Imran include players such as Rita Pandey, Rajni Choudhari, Sanjeev Ojha, Pratima Choudhari, Janardan Gupta, and Sanvar Ali.
Sadly, the hockey coach is now selling track suits in Uttar Pradesh's Gorakhpur district for a living, reports ANI.
Imran used to play hockey for the Fertilizer Corporation of India but was forced to become a roadside vendor after the unit shut down. His only other source of income is his pension of ₹1,000, far from enough for a father of two, struggling to keep his family afloat.
Now, he cycles around in his district, selling track suits. He says he is trying to generate some income to be able to save for his daughter's wedding.
However, his love for hockey hasn't ended. In the little time that he can spare, Imran continues to train aspiring young hockey players of the district.
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