India’s basketball legend Abbas Moontasir dead

Tags: Sports Person in news

Former India basketball captain and Arjuna awardee Ghulam Abbas Muntasir passed away on November 16, 2022 in Mumbai after prolonged illness. He was 80.

Important facts

• He was born in Mumbai in 1942. He started playing in Nagpada by the American missionaries, later he started getting inclined towards basketball.

• His basketball debut came in 1960 in an exhibition game against Australia.

• He captained the national team in the 1969 and 1975 Asian Basketball Championships in Bangkok.

• He was part of the Indian team at the 1970 Asian Games, which finished sixth after topping a group that also contained China, Thailand and Malaysia.

• In the same year, Muntasir was selected in the Asian All-Star team and received the Arjuna Award, the first basketball player to receive this honour.

• He was suspended for three years due to constant bickering with referees and officials in the country.

• He was also among the country's sports icons who shot for the 1987 film 'Freedom Run' to promote national integration.