24 December : Pakistan Football Federation (PFF)’s President Makhdoom Syed Faisal Saleh Hayat , General Secretary Lt. Col ® Ahmed Khan Yar Lodhi, Director Marketing Naveed Haider and others expressed deep sense of grief and sorrow over the sad demise of former Pakistan football captain Sumbal Khan. The NWFP-based Sumbal became the fifth captain of Pakistan in the 60-year history of PFF when he led Pakistan in Four-Nation Colombo Cup 1955 at Dhaka.
Used to play as centre-half for Pakistan and Peshawar’s Warsak FC, Sumbal was among few players who played in First National Soccer Championship of Pakistan at Karachi’s YMCA Ground in 1948 and he went on to represent NWFP until 1961 in PFF’s show piece event.
Faisal called Sumbal as “classical” who also represented Pakistan in Four-Nation Colombo Cup in 1952 ( Sri Lanka), 1953 ( Burma) and Second Asian Games 1954 at Philippines. He also visited Sri Lanka, Singapore and China in 1956.
They prayed that Allah, the Merciful may rest the departed soul in eternal peace and grant patience and solace to the members of the bereaved family to bear the irreparable loss with equanimity.