Rajiv Mishra, fleeting comet of Indian hockey, dies a lonely death | Hockey News – Times of India

LUCKNOW: Rajiv Mishra, who dazzled like a comet on the timeline of Indian hockey in the late ’90s but vanished equally fast after an untimely injury, died a lonely death in Varanasi. His body was found at his home on Friday morning.
Mishra, 46, had probably passed away a few days ago. According to reports, his neighbours informed police after noticing a foul smell coming from his house. Mishra is survived by his wife, son and a daughter, who stay in Lucknow.
Hailing from Kolkata, Mishra was a ticket collector with Northern Railway and was posted in Varanasi. Hockey aficionados at one time hailed Mishra as the Sachin Tendulkar of hockey. He was probably a more flamboyant version, and extremely talented, as his exploits lit up the 1997 junior World Cup in Milton Keynes, England.
Having qualified for the first time after 12 years, India finished runners-up, thanks to an inspiring display by Mishra, who scored nine goals and walked away with ‘most valuable player’ award.
The current Hockey India chief Dilip Tirkey, who was a teammate, was the second best in the team with three goals.

Mishra was billed as India’s most dangerous centre-forward but his career was jolted soon after by an injury during a practice match and botched-up surgeries thereafter. He could never realise the great potential he had shown.
Despite trying his best for a comeback, the stylish player — with long, curly hair tied in a bandana — tragically went into oblivion.
Tirkey tweeted: “I am deeply saddened to hear about the untimely demise of Rajeev Mishra, a talented former junior international hockey player. His passion and dedication to the sport were truly inspiring. My heartfelt condolences to his family, friends and the entire hockey community.”
“We are deeply saddened by the demise of our former junior international hockey player and 1997 FIH junior men’s World Cup silver medallist Rajiv Mishra. We send out our heartfelt condolences to his family,” Hockey India tweeted.
“Like his career, Rajeev’s life also ended untimely. It is heartrending to know about his death, but I would like to remember him as hockey’s rock star who was accorded a rousing welcome at the Delhi airport when India, the runners-up of the 1997 junior world cup hockey, returned home,” said his first coach and mentor, Prem Shankar Shukla.

“Against Germany in the semifinals, he scored the golden goal and ensured that India reached the final of the junior hockey World Cup for the very first in its glorious history,” said Anwar Khan, his teammate and a longtime roommate in Varanasi.
At national level, Mishra played for the Northern Railways (NR), a stint that also gave him the job of a ticket collector.
“He was a livewire on the field. Being surrounded by two to three defenders used to charge him up,” said Shukla. “Like him, his goals were spectacular. There was speed in his movements. He was hockey’s nayaab (precious) gem,” said RP Singh, sports director, UP, and chairman of the Hockey India selection committee.
“It is unfortunate that he had to spend his days as a ticket collector for the Railways when the stylish star that he was, people would have loved to buy tickets to watch him play,” said Pramod, Rajeev’s colleague at the Railways.