The Olympic gold medal-winning hockey player, Imran Sherwani, has announced that he has been diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s Disease.
Sherwani came to national fame in 1988 when he inspired Britain men’s hockey squad to their triumph in Seoul, scoring twice in a 3-1 victory in the final that prompted the famous commentary line from Barry Davies: “Where were the Germans? But frankly who cares.”
The 59-year-old began to notice dementia symptoms back in 2014 and then spent three years having tests and brain scans before a diagnosis was made in December 2019.
“At first my mood changed and I became withdrawn,” said Sherwani. “I wanted to be on my own and not talk to people. I started to struggle with tasks that ordinarily I would be quick to do, such as DIY. I also had difficulties in my job [as a teacher], such as forgetting pupils’ names, which was very frustrating.
“Eventually it got to the point that I was on the edge of breaking down because the situation had put such a strain on me, so I went to the doctor.”
Sherwani’s friend and team-mate Steve Batchelor has now set up a team – ‘Going for Gold’ – to take part in this year’s London Marathon to raise money for Alzheimer’s Research UK in honour of his fellow Olympic gold medalist.
Sherwani said that he had come to terms with the diagnosis. “I have gone from fighting the disease to accepting it, and that has made every day easier to live through,” he said. “Every day of my life, I am thankful for having wonderful people around me, especially my lovely wife.
“I do not have fears about the future because I have always been very positive. I have had a brilliant life, I have achieved a lot in my career and with my family, so I can’t complain.”
Batchelor, who will be joined in ‘Going for Gold’ by Sherwani’s son Zac, said: “All of the 1988 Olympics team are still very close but, as we were both forwards, I have a particularly close relationship with Imran. We are good friends and our families are close as well. When I heard he had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s it was a shock. You feel helpless when someone you are close to is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.”
A link has been increasingly made in recent years between contact sports, and athletes with a history of concussions, and the likelihood of developing dementia in later life.
