Hyderabad football legends to adorn Delhi Hall of Fame

Hyderabad: Footballers separated by generations came together on Wednesday to call upon the authorities and administrators to take steps on a priority basis in order to ensure that Hyderabad will be on the revival path and hopefully inch somewhere towards the halcyon days when Hyderabad Police constituted the virtual Indian team.

Giving a clarion call to all those in a position to work on such a blueprint, 1960 Rome Olympian, SS Hakeem, said it was a tragedy of our times that Hyderabad football continues to live in its glorious past, when it ought to be working on bringing about the best of vibrancy and help restore lost pride.

The best way to take forward the legacy left behind by illustrious sons of the soil was in evolving a workable plan of action involving passion-driven old-timers, who could double up as coach-administrators, he said during a news conference at Media Plus Auditorium.

“Let the government provide infrastructural support and we shall produce champions like in the good old days,” thundered Hakeem, who is the son of coach extraordinaire SA Rahim ‘Saab’.

An outspoken critic of the establishment, he slammed the tendency of successive governments at every level to recognise and honour achievers from every discipline, except football players, ‘whose very existence they seem oblivious of’.

He wondered why football Olympians were meted a step-motherly treatment while those from other sports were eulogised and put on the highest pedestals even when they achieve individual glory whereas football was a team sport. He lamented that it has reached such a pitiable situation that the best football ambassadors India has produced are not even considered for Padma awards.

He said that most of those who put India on the world with their heroics were living in penury as faces in the crowd, including in Hyderabad.

He contended that lack of governmental support and a dearth of playing grounds made worse by an abysmal system apparatus were depriving the growth of the beautiful game in the country, save in Bengal, Kerala, Goa and some parts of the North East, where the sport has survived despite governmental indifference.

In his address, eminent analyst and inarguably the best football authority from the country, Novy Kapadia, said that his research into the rise and fall of Indian football presented an emotional roller-coaster ride, which turned from ecstasy to agony. His profoundly documented book,

‘Barefoot to Boots’ that covers the gamut is to hit the stands on September 15.For the records, from among several distinguished internationals, 15 players from Hyderabad made it to Olympics, 21 paraded their dexterous skills in Asian Games besides which eight became reputed national coaches.

FOR POSTERITY

In a welcome step, and thanks to the generosity of former Rajasthan cricketer, Wasim Alvi, footballers from all over will get to see the historical times when football was India’s best bet apart from hockey. Yes, one will literally be reliving those days when India was a football powerhouse.

Recreating glory and taking one back in time, will be a first-of-its-kind Hall of Fame exhibition that will be held in New Delhi in the first week of September.

Not surprisingly a major chunk of the space is likely to be dotted with the lives and times of Hyderabad footballers, whose sublime skills caught the attention and fancy of the best of the lot of that era.

The organisers have timed it to perfection as it will be a prelude to the Under-17 World Cup that six India cities will host
in October.

The exhibition will feature photographs of Olympians (1948 to 1960), Asian Games gold and bronze winners, and cut-outs of celebrated icons, whose talents were praised by the finest of global contemporaries.

In order to spread the message to a larger audience particularly of those who may have been missed out, Alvi and Hakeem have urged kin of Olympians, international players, FIFA National Coaches and administrators, who held sway from 1948 to 1982 to email photographs of al greats with a brief write up. They can be sent to [email protected] and [email protected].