Khawaja Zakauddin

Khawaja Zakauddin was born on 27 October 1936 in Jalandhar (also spelled Jullundur), Punjab, then part of British India. He came from a well-known Khawaja family. Around Partition, at about age eleven, his family migrated to Pakistan and settled in Lahore, the city that remained his home. In later years he revisited Jalandhar searching for the house where he was born, walking streets that still carried childhood memories even when the house itself could not be found. Biographical databases associate him with Islamia College.

Public English-language sources link Zakauddin to Islamia College. Exact years of study and degree details are not made public in the obituaries and reference profiles reviewed for this memorial.

As a forward and inside-right, Zakauddin represented Pakistan from 1958 to 1966 in 56 international matches and scored 26 goals. He won Asian Games gold in Tokyo (1958) and Jakarta (1962) and silver in Bangkok (1966). He was a member of Pakistan's 1960 Rome Olympic hockey squad that took gold against India, and he won Olympic silver as a player at Tokyo 1964. After turning to coaching around 1972, he coached Pakistan to Olympic gold at Los Angeles 1984. He later served as chief selector and in February 2008 became manager and chief coach for the Beijing Olympics. When Pakistan finished eighth, he resigned and publicly accepted responsibility. In 2009 he received the President's Award for Pride of Performance.

Zakauddin lived in Lahore. Friends and family called him Zakku. Obituaries name four sons, Kamran, Irfan (listed as Adnan in some biographies), Imran, and Salman Zaka, who also played hockey. His daughter married Olympian Tauqir Dar (also spelled Touqir), who confirmed his death. A long police career, including traffic duties, shaped his emphasis on self-discipline. Arab News in 2008 described him as a celebrated grandfather who still said he remained young at heart.

Zakauddin treated hockey as a core part of Pakistan's Olympic identity. He argued that administrative failure, not the sport or astro-turf alone, explained decline in Pakistan and India. He admired Dhyan Chand's stickwork and urged Indians to honour that genius. Before Beijing he voiced medal hopes; afterward he refused to dodge blame. Late interviews, including GEO Super in 2025, framed revival as a question of people and institutions around the game.

He connected Pakistan's late-1950s and 1960s playing peak with the 1984 Olympic coaching gold and later selection and management roles. Pride of Performance recognition, anniversary visits on the Rome gold date in 2026, and tributes from captains across eras underline his standing. For younger fans he remains a named voice in debates about restoring the national game.

President's Award for Pride of Performance (2009). Olympic silver as a player (Tokyo 1964). Olympic gold as coach (Los Angeles 1984). Asian Games gold medals (1958, 1962) and silver (1966). Member of Pakistan's 1960 Rome Olympic gold medal hockey squad.

He appeared in GEO Super programming, including a 2025 interview titled around the idea that hockey is not bad but people are. Arab News published extended interviews during the 2008 Olympic cycle. The News featured him around the 9 September 2026 anniversary of the Rome gold. Pakistan Hockey Federation published media talks pairing him with Hassan Sardar. Urdu and English outlets carried his 2026 death notices.

No personal scandal is documented in the sources reviewed. The national controversy around Pakistan's eighth-place finish at Beijing 2008 fell on the coaching and management staff. Zakauddin accepted responsibility and resigned rather than shift blame onto senior players.

Khawaja Zakauddin died in Lahore on 1 October 2026 at the age of 89. The cause of death was not made public in English obituaries reviewed. His son-in-law, Olympian Tauqir Dar, confirmed the news. Olympians including Hanif Khan, Samiullah Khan, Islahuddin Siddiqui, Hassan Sardar, Shehnaz Sheikh, Nasir Ali, and others expressed grief and paid tribute to his service to Pakistan hockey.