Former senior vice-president of Handball Federation of India, Md Yasin Ustad has passed away after a prolonged illness at his Dhatkidih residence here, Jharkhand Handball Association (JHA) officials said on Thursday.
The 105-year-old Yasin (popularly being addressed as Ustad by the sports fraternity) had been inactive due to illness since 1996 and was keeping unwell, said Khurshid Khan, secretary of JHA.
“Ustad died last night and he will be buried at Dhatkidih burial ground,” said Khan, who is also the joint secretary of the federation.
Ustad, who was the secretary of undivided Bihar Handball Association from 1972 till he handed over the charge in 1996, was the brain behind promoting Handball in undivided Bihar for decades and guided the state team to the National championship title on various occasions.
He became inactive after the team finished runners-up in 1996 senior national championship.
Ibrahim Khan, the then secretary of the federation, encouraged Ustad to take up Handball and promote the sport in Bihar.
Ustad introduced the game in Bihar with a bunch of football players and, under his able guidance, the team took part in the National championship for the first time held in Hissar in 1972, Khan recollected.
Bihar team first bagged the title in the next edition of the championship and subsequently made its presence felt since then, he said.
The sports fraternity here condoled the death of Ustad and described it as irreparable loss.
Khan said the general secretary of the federation, S M Bali also condoled his death.
In a message, Bali hailed Ustad’s outstanding contribution in promoting Handball in the country.
