Hyderabad: He was always at all sports functions. From kabaddi to tenni-koit to kho kho to handball, he was a well-known figure. The camera around his neck and a sweet smile on his face, the gecko Mohammed Saleem will no longer be there. He died Sunday morning after a brief battle with Covid-19. He was 63. He is survived by his wife and three sons.
The smaller associations always depended on him for photos. He pleased everyone, from athletes to officials. He even dealt with the proceedings of the state assembly.
Very humble, Saleem would even go to all the newspaper offices to deliver the day’s photos in the past. But with technological advancement, he started sending photos by email to meet the deadlines for newspapers.
Veteran sports journalist Valentine Wilson said Saleem was a gentle man. ‘He then calls all offices and asks if they receive the photos. Age did not slow him down and had a good relationship with other photographers. “He was indeed popular with other cameramen,” he said.
Former All England badminton champion Pullela Gopichand said Saleem was one of the city’s energetic sports photographers. “We grew up when Saleem took pictures of all the sporting events. “He was humble and had a smiling face,” he said.
K.Jagadishwer Yadav, secretary of the Telangana Olympic Association & Telangana Kabaddi Association, said Saleem is one of the top photographers of the city. “He will not miss a single event in the city, big or small. It is a common custom that all the associations call on Salem, and he will never say no. He obliged all the associations. “In 2003, he discussed all the big events like National Games, Nationals, Afro-Asian Games, ” he said.
Source: Telangana Today