When Mumbai Port Trust (MbPT) hockey team’s veteran defender Shree Krishnamurthy dropped his teammate Abhijit Shirsat from MbPT’s Wadala quarters to the Dadar Terminus on Wednesday evening to board a bus to his Pune home, he had absolutely no inkling that he was bidding his friend goodbye for the last time.
Shirsat, 47, passed away at his Pune home in the wee hours of the next day after suffering a massive heart attack, leaving behind his mother, wife Sujatha and two teenage sons Aryan and Arnav. The last rites were performed at Khadki, Pune, on Thursday.
“On Wednesday morning, Abhijit told me that he was feeling acidic, so he took some regular medication for acidity. But when it didn’t subside, he spoke to his mother in Pune over the phone and she told him to come home. I dropped him to Dadar in the evening and around mid-night he reached home. Then around 3am, he complained to his wife about chest pain and suddenly passed away. Our entire MbPT team is shocked that Abhijit is no more. He was our captain and a key player [centre-half]. But above all he was a great friend, always smiling and willing to help anyone in need at any time. He would even give us financial advice because most of us players are not very sharp when it comes to money matters,” Krishnamurthy told mid-day.
Abhijit’s MbPT teammates Javed Shaikh (left) and Shree Krishnamurthy
Another MbPT teammate and defender Javed Shaikh, who is also an accomplished international umpire, added: “Abhijit and myself joined MbPT around the same time, three decades ago in 1996-97. He was a brilliant player and went on to represent Mumbai and Maharashtra at the National level and even won medals.
Last year, we [MbPT] won the 45th All India Major Ports Hockey Tournament at the MHAL Stadium in Mumbai, beating Kolkata Port 2-0 in the final and Abhijit had a strong role to play in it.
His ball distribution and holding pattern in midfield was excellent. He was the backbone of our team. He was good in rink hockey too and would regularly play tournaments across Mumbai. He had no health issues at all. His passing is unbelievable.”
