Ali, who was suffering from stomach cancer for a long time, was a permanent member of the Sikandariya Club Bhopal. A former field hockey player, he was part of the Indian hockey men's national team which won the gold medal at the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan.
Ali played in many National Hockey Championship and was working with the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) and had played for it since it was formed.
He was recently chosen as coach for the Madhya Pradesh hockey team, but he did not take up the post due to declining health.