{{Short description|Field hockey player}} {{Infobox field hockey player|name=Safdar Abbas|birth_date={{birth date and age|1957|7|27|df=y}}|birth_place=Karachi, Pakistan|nationalteam1=Pakistan|nationalcaps1=56|nationalgoals1=22|nationalyears1=1973-1981|updated=4 October 2021 <ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.phf.com.pk/int_record.php |title=Pakistan Hockey Federation |website=www.phf.com.pk |access-date=13 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030206033223/http://www.phf.com.pk/int_record.php |archive-date=6 February 2003 |url-status=dead}}</ref>|position=Left-winger|medaltemplates={{MedalCountry|{{fhm|PAK}}}} {{MedalCompetition|}} Hockey World Cup<br /> {{flagicon|MAS}} 1975 {{spaces|type}} {{spaces|type}} {{silver2}} Runner-up <br /> Hockey Champions Trophy <br /> {{flagicon|PAK}} 1980 {{spaces|type}} {{spaces|type}} {{gold1}} Champion|medaltemplates-title=Honours}}

'''Safdar Abbas''' (Urdu: '''صفدر عباس''') is a former professional field hockey player from Pakistan who represented the Pakistan national field hockey team as a forward. Abbas is the youngest player to represent Pakistan at the age of sixteen years in 1973.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Khan|first=Shahid|date=2019-11-05|title=My Dutch hockey love affair|url=https://shahidkhanmemories.wordpress.com/2019/11/05/my-dutch-hockey-love-affair/|access-date=2021-10-04|website=Shahid Khan Memories|language=en}}</ref>

== Early life == Safdar Abbas was born in Karachi in 1957. He started playing hockey at the Habib Public School in Karachi. He was a student of ninth grade in the school when he was called for the national team camp in 1973.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2010-09-08|title=Habib School aims to ensure high standards with Astroturf installation|url=https://www.dawn.com/news/996996/habib-school-aims-to-ensure-high-standards-with-astroturf-installation|access-date=2021-10-04|website=DAWN.COM|language=en}}</ref>

== Career == After the 1972 Munich Olympics where Pakistan lost the final to West Germany many Pakistani players were banned because of their behavior and protest over umpiring decisions in the game.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Ahmed|first=Qamar|date=2012-08-01|title=Munich Olympic fiasco and Pakistan hockey|url=https://www.dawn.com/2012/08/01/munich-olympic-fiasco-and-pakistan-hockey/|access-date=2021-10-04|website=DAWN.COM|language=en}}{{dead link|date=April 2026|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> Abbas was one the new players inducted into the team for the tour of Spain and Belgium in lead up to the 1973 Hockey World Cup in Amstelveen where Pakistan was defending the title. During the World Cup Abbas scored a goal in the match against Argentina at the age of sixteen years in the last pool match of the tournament.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=The man sohail abbas|date=29 May 2012 |url=https://insider.pk/sport/hockey/the-man-sohail-abbas/}}</ref> Pakistan eventually finished fourth.

Abbas was dropped from the squad for the 1974 Asian Games but was part of the squad for the 1975 World Cup in Malaysia. Pakistan lost the final to India and finished second in the tournament. Abbas was a skillful forward with powerful hitting on the ball and ball control but he had temperamental issues and would often quarrel with opposition players and sometimes with his own teammates, he was dropped from the squad for the 1976 Olympics and 1978 World Cup.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Paracha|first=Nadeem F.|date=2014-06-12|title=Hockey: When we were giants (and then some)|url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1112245|access-date=2021-10-04|website=DAWN.COM|language=en}}</ref>

In 1979 he was recalled into the team for the Esanda International Tournament in Melbourne. Pakistan won the tournament defeating Australia in the final with Abbas scoring Pakistan's third goal to give them the lead in the 4–2 victory.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Gevonden in Delpher - NRC Handelsblad|url=https://www.delpher.nl/nl/kranten/view?coll=ddd&identifier=KBNRC01:000027152:mpeg21:a0090|access-date=2021-10-04|website=www.delpher.nl|language=nl}}</ref> He accompanied the team for the tour of Egypt and Netherlands later in the year.

In 1980 he scored five goals in Pakistan's successful defence of their title in the second Hockey Champions Trophy at Karachi. His final appearance for the national team was in the 1981 Hockey Champions Trophy at Karachi after which he announced his retirement.

== Personal life == Safdar Abbas is the uncle of Sohail Abbas, the former Pakistan international with highest goals in international hockey with 348 goals. According to Sohail Abbas he was inspired by his uncle Safdar to play hockey as a youngster.<ref name=":0" /> Safdar's brother also played first-class cricket in Pakistan. His son Mudassar Abbas also played professional hockey in Pakistan before he moved to Australia to play league hockey where he was selected for the Australian Masters Hockey team, he is also a qualified fitness trainer in Melbourne.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Hockey trophy winner Melbourne Sikh United led by a Pakistani|url=https://multiculturaltimes.news/stories/2020/10/11/hockey-trophy-winner-melbourne-sikh-united-led-by-a-pakistani|access-date=2021-10-04|website=Multicultural Times|language=en-US}}</ref>

== References == {{reflist}}

Category:Living people Category:1957 births Category:Sportspeople from Karachi