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Obituaries
SUNDERANI, Hassan
31 Dec 2018
He was born in Mengo, Kampala, Uganda on June 3, 1939. Hassan started playing soccer and participating in athletics (track and field), at the early age of 10. He was captain of the Government Senior Secondary School cover team for three consecutive years, 1954-1958 (in Kampala, Uganda). In 1959 he became captain of the Kampala Aga Khan Soccer Club, which reached the finals of the Uganda FA, in which the Aga Khan club beat the Buganda Princes football club by 3 to 3 to win the trophy. Prince Karim Aga Khan was the guest of honour at the games and he presented the FA Cup to Hassan.
Hassan holds a degree in English from Oxford University, and a degree in Physical Education from Loughborough University and a Teacher’s Certificate of Education from the University of Nottingham. In September 1963, he briefly (for three months) taught Physical Education at Gerendon Secondary School in Loughborough. In 1964, he returned to Uganda and served the Government as National Chief Sports Officer until 1971. He also held the following positions: General Secretary, Uganda National Council of Sports; Secretary, Uganda Olympic & Commonwealth Games Association; Vice-President, Supreme Council of Sports in Africa; Vice-President, All Africa Amateur Boxing Association; he lead the 1964 Tokyo Olympics as the Uganda Team’s “Chef de Mission”; he lead the All Africa Games in Congo-Brazaville in 1965 as the Uganda team’s manager; he lead the 1966 Commonwealth Gamed in Kingston, Jamaica as the Uganda team’s manager; he lead the 1968 Mexico Olympics as the “Chef de Mission: of the Uganda team, which won two medals (one Silver and one Bronze); as Uganda’s Chief Sports Officer and as the Secretary of the Olympic & Commonwealth Games Association, he travelled extensively around the world to attend various International Sports conferences and meetings.
In 1969, he was awarded Uganda’s highest honour and became the first recipient of “THE GRAND MEMBER OF UGANDA SPORTS” (GMUS) by the Uganda Sports Council and the presentation was made by the then President of Uganda, Dr. Oboto; he lead the 1970 Edinburgh Commonwealth Games as the Manager of the Uganda Team, which won seven medals including three Gold, three Silver and one Bronze; he was Chair of the Boxing Committee for the 1994 Victoria Commonwealth Games Society; he was Chairman of Zone 6, Supreme Council of Sports in Africa.
He left Uganda for England in 1971 after the military coup staged by Idi Amin. He taught at East Ham College of Technology in London, England as senior lecturer in Physical Education and English from 1971 to 1974. In 1972, he was appointed College Student Counsellor of East Ham College. In that same year, he was appointed as magistrate in the county borough of Newham, London, England.
In 1988 he joined the Victoria Commonwealth Games Society as a volunteer and was sent to several African countries to lobby for Victoria’s bid for the 1994 Commonwealth Games. He attended the Seoul Olympics in 1988 and lobbied the CGF delegates for Victoria’s bid for the 1994 Commonwealth Games, where he played a significant role in winning the bid to stage the Commonwealth Games in Victoria. In 1990, he attended the XIV Commonwealth Games in Auckland, New Zealand as a member of the VCGS Team to brief the CGF delegates on Victoria’s preparation for the Games. In 1991, he attended the CGF meeting Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia as a member of the three-man VCGS Team to update the delegates on Victoria’s preparation for the Games. In 1992, he attended the Barcelona Olympics, and as one of the VCGS Team members, he met with the CGF delegates to brief them on Victoria’s preparations for the Games. In 1994, he played a very active role in staging the Commonwealth Games in Victoria as a member of the Board of Governors for the Victoria Commonwealth Games Society, and as Chairman of the Organization Committee of the Games.
Hassan served as a Council member of Aga Khan Council in Uganda as a member for Youth from 1967 to 1970. During his four year stay in England he was again appointed Council member of the UK Aga Khan National Council (member for Social Welfare) by Prince Aga Khan, and he held the position from 1973 to 1975. During a brief absence from the UK by the then Aga Khan National Council President Mr. Lakhani, Hassan Served as Acting President of the UK Aga Khan National Council. Hassan moved to Canada in 1975 and was once again appointed Council member of Canada Aga Khan National Council (member for the Prairies), 1976-1979. He also received several Blessings form Prince Aga Khan, and especially on the occasion of receiving the award from the Uganda National Council of Sport, “THE GRAND MEMBER OF UGANDA SPORTS”, which was presented to him by the then President of Uganda, Dr. A.M. Obote.
In England, he served as senior lecturer in Physical Education and English at East Ham College of Technology, where he was also the College Student Counsellor from 1971 to 1975. During this time he was appointed by the British Lord Chancellor’s Office to serve as “Magistrate” and a “Justice of the Peace” at the London Borough of New Ham. In Canada, he served as the member of Board of Governors of the Victoria Commonwealth Games Society from 1988 to 1994, and he was the Chairman of the Organizing Committee of the 1995 Commonwealth Games held in Victoria, Canada. During his career in Uganda, the U.K. and Canada he had the opportunity to meet with several African heads of state; her Majesty the Queen of England; Prince Phillip; Prince Charles; Prince Edward; former President of the United States Gerald Ford; former B.C. Premiers Bill Bennett and Mike Harcourt; former Canadian Prime Ministers Jean Chretien, Brian Mulroney, Joe Clark, Pierre Trudeau and Stephen Harper.
He produced and presented several TV shows on Ugandan Television including “Sports Review”, once a week. He later produced and presented “Current Affairs” magazine in both Calgary and Victoria.
Hassan lived in Guelph, Ontario, Canada with his wife Tazim, his son Aly and his daughter Alyssa. He is the president of Comfort Inn in Guelph, which he owned. He gives full credit to the Spirited Father Prince Karim Aga Khan for all his life advancements with Aga Khan’s Blessings.
Hassan’s Life achievements are also shown in a You Tube video, just search for “Hassan Sunderani” on You Tube.
A service was held in the Ismailia Centre, 93 Beechwood Ave, Guelph on Thursday, December 27, 2018. Interment Woodlawn Memorial Park.