Former footballer Hakim tests positive for COVID-19

Distinguished footballer and Dhyan Chand Awardee Syed Shahid Hakim has tested positive for COVID-19 and is currently undergoing treatment at a quarantine centre in Hyderabad. The 81-year-old Hakim, who was a part of India's 1960 Rome Olympic squad, confirmed the development on Wednesday.

"Yes, I have tested positive for COVID-19 six days back and I am currently at a hotel in Hyderabad which has been converted into a quarantine centre by the state government," Hakim told PTI. "I can sense improvement in my health in the last two days and hoping that I will test negative soon and go back home in the coming few days," he added.

Hakim said he fell ill after visiting Gulbarga in Karnataka. "I was having fever after visiting Gulbarga and I was taking medicine for fever. Later, I had an x-ray of my chest done and I was told that I had pneumonia.

"Later, I was advised to undergo test for COVID-19 and the result returned positive. It was six days back." Hakim was conferred with the Dhyan Chand Award for Life Time Achievement in 2017 after former Indian player Shabbir Ali won it in 2011. After his football career, Hakim took to refereeing and officiated in international matches till 1989, including the 1988 AFC Asian Cup in Qatar. He later took up coaching, following the footsteps of his illustrious father and India's greatest ever football coach Syed Abdul Rahim.

Hakim had also served as the Chief Project Director at Sports Authority of India (SAI)..

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