hockey

Imran Sherwani, who led Great Britain to hockey gold at the 1988 Olympics, has died at the age of 63.

He scored twice in the final as GB beat West Germany 3-1 in Seoul – his second goal prompting a famous reaction from BBC commentator Barry Davies, who said: “Where were the Germans? But frankly, who cares!”

Sherwani was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2019.

Rich Beer, chief operating officer of Great Britain Hockey, said: “Imran Sherwani will forever be remembered as one of the true icons of England and Great Britain Hockey.

“His talent, leadership and humility inspired generations of players and fans alike.”

Sherwani represented GB and England a combined 94 times, and worked as director of hockey at a school in Staffordshire.

He came from a sporting family – his father played hockey for Pakistan and his great uncles played for Stoke City and Port Vale.

Neck guards have previously been optional in Olympic competition, while in other competitions around the world they are not required.

While the guards are compulsory at youth international level, having to wear the guards will be a new experience at elite level for some of the world’s best players.

The British Elite League has not made them mandatory, despite the fatal incident involving Johnson occurring in their competition, and they are not yet required in the North America’s National Hockey League (NHL).

The NHL – regarded as the number one league in the world – will make the guards mandatory for new players, external entering the competition from the 2026-27 season onwards. However, those who already play in the league will not need to wear the protective equipment.

NHL players will feature at next year’s Milan-Cortina Olympics,, external having not appeared at the past two Games because of disruption to the domestic season in 2018 and concern over coronavirus at Beijing 2022.

The Olympic ice hockey competition will take place in Milan between 5 and 22 February 2026.