India, Pakistan to play for Feroz

8216;8216;It is a matter of pride for us that we still have such a distinguished figure among us,8217;8217; Pakistan Hockey Federation PHF secretary Brig Musarratullah said. 8216;8216;We have decided to celebrate his 100th birthday by dedicating the first Test of the hockey series on September 24 in Karachi after him.8217;8217;

In the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore to celebrate his birthday with his family, Khan said that a better performance from the Asian teams in the Athens Olympics would have been a birthday gift for him. 8216;8216;It is sad that we have lost our traditional style of playing because of the European advancement,8217;8217; he said.

8216;8216;The hockey you see today it is not what we used to play. The artistry and flair is gone,8217;8217; he said. 8216;8216;It is sad but the International Hockey Federation IHF has done nothing to prevent changing of rules that have robbed the sport of its finesse and skills.8217;8217;

Born in a small village Basti Danishmandan in Jullundur, India on September 9, 1904, Khan was a contemporary of the Indian hockey great Dhyan Chand and they played together in the 1928 Olympic Games.

8216;8216;I was very upset at being dropped from the Indian team for the 1932 Olympic Games in Los Angeles because the selectors had to accommodate Dhyan Chand at the centre forward position which was why when the time came we moved to Pakistan,8217;8217; Khan recalled.

Khan was a member of the committee that selected the Pakistan team that won the hockey gold medal at the 1960 Rome Olympics by beating India in the final 8212; an event he described as one of the highlights of his life. 8216;8216;I am also proud that my son8230;Farooq Feroze Khan also served as the president of the PHF and did a lot for the promotion of the game.8217;8217;