Healing power of sport

WHEN retired GP Dr Masud Rahman proudly carries the Olympic flame for part of its journey through the North-Eastmixedmemories will come flooding back to him - and remind him of the unifying spirit of the Games.

If there is anyone qualified to speak about the power of sport it has to be Dr Rahman.

He was part of the Pakistani hockey squad that defeated arch-rivals India in the 1960 Rome Olympics. A decade later, he was captured and tortured by Pakistani soldiers for providing medical help to freedom fighters.

And next month, he will witness the three former enemies take to the sports fields in a spirit of reconciliation at the London 2012 Olympics.

Dr Rahman, who lives in Chesterle-Street, County Durham, says: "The Olympics transcend all political differences. It brings people together in friendship to compete with each other, with the spirit that winning is not everything.

"Participation is what it is all about and to accept defeat graciously - so you can do better and better next time to win."

Dr Rahman, 67, who has been chosen to carry the torch through Peterlee on Sunday, June 17, speaks of his terrifying time in captivity and the healing power of sport.

He says: "I have been active in sport allmy life. Through school, college and medical school, I have played basketball, hockey, football and taken part in field athletics.

"I found sport came to me naturally. We never went into sport back then for financial remuneration. It was for pleasure and glory.

"I wanted to become a sportsperson, but my father who ran a GP practice in Dhaka wanted me to follow in his footsteps."

Dr Rahman adds: "I was at premedical school when I was selected to accompany the Pakistan hockey team to the 1960 Rome Olympics.

"I was the only representative from East Pakistan - at a time when we were discriminated against in all fields. I didn't play, but was on the reserve seats. It was a particularly memorable match, because it was the first time Pakistan won a gold medal against its arch-rival India.

"It was like a world war. Supporters of the opposing teams were waving their national flags and chanting slogans. It felt like winning a war too - but without any bloodshed. We beat them one-nil. It was a great day."

AFTER his admission to medical school, Dr Rahman had to give up playing full-time but took up basketball - becoming captain of the East Pakistan basketball team for four years from 1964 and was a Dhaka University Blue.

He grew up conscious of the discrimination against his country by Pakistan and became part of a clandestine movement fighting against the oppression, which culminated in a brutal war of independence in 1971.

Pakistan launched Operation Searchlight against Bengali civilians, students and intelligentsia and armed forces, who were demanding that the military regime honour the results of the first-ever democratic election won by an East Pakistan party.

Dr Rahman says: "We were on the medical team inside the country helping treat wounded freedom fighters, raising funds for them, providing them with shelter.

"I saw somuch injustice. I had just joined the health service when this started. I would work in the hospital during the day and in the nights would tend to the wounded. We saved many lives.

"But one of my colleagues, a Pakistani, reported his suspicions to the military and I was captured frommy hospital room early in the morning.

"The soldiers ransacked my room.

I lost all my personal belongings, including my Olympic memorabilia - apart from a photograph and newspaper clipping, which was at a friend's home."

He says: "I was taken away in my pyjamas. I had a terrible time, with torture and beatings. They accused me(wrongly) of arson and looting, which carried the maximum punishment.

"These people used to take people at random and kill them."

His captors eventually accepted that he had not been involved in any kind of military activities and he was fortunate to be sent to the central jail in Chittagong.

Dr Rahman was incarcerated for more than three months, before being released after the ceasefire, which saw East Pakistan become the independent nation of Bangladesh.

Hemoved to the UK the following year, where he completed his internship, before going on to become a GP at Stanley, in County Durham. Dr Rahman practised for 27 years before retiring in 2009.

In the meantime, he kept fit and raised thousands of pounds for charity - completing ten Great North Runs and three Great Northern Rides.

He had to give up serious sport after a bad accident while completing the fourth Great Northern Ride, but still goes on regular runs and walks to stay in shape.

Dr Rahman says: "I am really looking forward to Olympics. There is so much enthusiasm about the games.

"It is the aspiration of all sportspeople to be an Olympian, I think it will inspire generation after generation to take part in sport."

Dr Rahman intends to take his torch to his homeland, where he will donate it to the Bangladeshi Institute for Sports Science.

He says he would like to thank his university classmate Dr Zarina Anam, who is a retired GP from Peterlee, who nominated him for the torch-bearing run.