Bangladesh sports lose its truest gentleman

“Please sit down.”

It was a hot and humid day in April 2019.

The late Abdus Sadeque, the legendary athlete of Bangladesh, politely invited this reporter before pulling up his chair to have a chat.

He had to wait a while for me at his home as I was stuck in gridlock.

“You don't worry about being late because nobody has control over traffic jams,” he said to comfort me, seeing my embarrassed eyes.

After garnering some courage, I asked what prompted him to join the election race of the hockey federation, bearing in mind that he is not usually the kind of person known for wielding his power to serve his purpose.

He simply smiled.

“My love for the game,” he said without hesitation.

“You don’t need to have authority to love the game, it comes from the heart, doesn’t it?” he enquired without waiting for an answer.

He explained, “My power is the love of people that has been showered upon me since I started my playing career, and the election result won’t have any impact on it.”

“So not too worried whether I win or lose in the election,” added the great sports figure who was among the very first superstars of independent Bangladesh.

There was something in his voice that suggested that he was hardly bothered with the outcome of the election where he eventually lost to AKM Mominul Haque Shaeed.

He served the Bangladesh Hockey Federation twice as general secretary – all the more reason why he was not willing to set any limit in his hopes of becoming GS of hockey’s governing body in the country for a third time.

He was a man who never compromised on his principles, a characteristic that he carried throughout his eventful life.

Sadeque, the national sports award winner, had seen it all.

More poignantly, he never walked away from the game he loved, even after retiring.

What will he be remembered for?

A sportsman who excelled simultaneously in football, cricket, and hockey?

Or for his contribution behind the rise of Abahani in post-independence Bangladesh, a club that he loved and cared for till his last breath?

Sadly, he later moved away from the Sky Blues, largely due to his grievance than anything else.

Beyond his extraordinary accomplishments on the field that will continue to live on in Bangladesh’s sporting folklore for generations to come, Sadeque stood out from the rest of the crowd for another reason.

It is his humility, warmth and kindness that made him a superstar. He carried no baggage of ego with him till the last day of his life. He also had a laughter that was infectious.

His friends and peers always talk about his passionate love for books.

As for his personal traits, there is hardly anyone in this face of the earth who can claim to have witnessed Sadeque raising his voice.

When it comes to the different sports he shone brightly at, his stick work in the hockey field and his performance as a stopper in the football ground are still very vivid among his friends.

While there are many who feel he had enough skills to put up a fight against any particular cricketer on a given day.

Bangladesh has produced its share of sporting superstars but none can match Sadeque, a towering figure in the annals of this country’s history.

He leaves behind two sons, a daughter along with countless fans who grew up inspired by his achievements.

Admiringly, Sadeque never complained.

Neither did he utter a single word when he decided to step down from the board of directors at his beloved club Abahani.

He also walked away silently from the hockey federation even though he had all the reasons to make a huge outcry.

The affection that people showed in his namaz-e-janaza only made everyone realise one doesn’t need power to be loved.

Indeed, Bangladesh has lost a great sportsman, and more importantly, a true gentleman in every sense of the word.

The country’s sports sector will be poorer for his absence.

He will be missed dearly.