Sadia Raza, the elder sister of Shahida Raza, goes through her sibling's belongings at their family house in Quetta ©Getty Images

Former Pakistan national hockey player Shahida Raza has died at the age of 27, when a boat she was on sank near the Italian coast on Sunday.

Raza was among at least 64 people including children and women who died in the tragedy.

She was part of the minority Shia Hazara community in Pakistan and hailed from the southern province of Balochistan.

Her friend Summaya Kainat told Reuters that Raza was travelling to Italy to get medical treatment for her disabled son.

According to Kainat, the 27-year-old went to Turkey via Iran with the hope of seeking asylum in Australia or Italy.

"She was the sole breadwinner of the family," Kainat told Reuters.

"She told me that as soon as she got a job, she would take her son Hasan away with her."

Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said that two from the country died in the shipwreck and 17 were rescued while two are missing.

Raza has represented Pakistan international events at junior and senior level according to the Pakistan Hockey Federation and was known for her goals-coring abilities.

She represented the army team during the national women’s hockey championship in 2007 and played for WAPDA - local water and power authority - teams.

According to reports, she has also played football and was part of the national setup.