Rajiv Mishra, who was one of the stars of the Indian men’s junior hockey team at the 1997 World Cup, has passed away at the age of 46. The former forward was found dead at his residence in Sarsauli area of Varanasi under mysterious circumstances.
According to sources, Mishra might have died a few days back and it was his neighbours who informed the police after a foul smell started to come out of his house. Mishra used to stay alone as he was posted as chief inspector of ticket (CIT) with Northern Railway’s Lucknow Division at Varanasi. Mishra, who hailed from Leeludabait village in Hajipur in Bihar, is survived by his wife and two children. Famous for his curly long hair tied in a bandana, Mishra was at one point considered the next big thing in Indian hockey.
But his booming career suffered a setback just before the 1998 World Cup (senior) in Utrecht when he sustained a career-ending knee injury following a body clash with the then Indian goalkeeper AB Subbaiah.