Tag Archives: Positive News of Muslims of India in Sports

National Athletics Championship Silver Medalist Ayesha Khan Felicitated in Kota

Kota, RAJASTHAN :

Kota:

The Kota Railway Station witnessed a jubilant scene as city residents came together to honour Ayesha Khan, a local athlete who recently clinched a silver medal in the 200-meter race at the 39th National Junior Athletics Championship.

Adorned with flower garlands, Ayesha was welcomed like a star and paraded through the city in an open jeep from the railway station to the cantonment area.

The streets came alive as large crowds gathered along the procession route, which passed through Nayapura and Kotri before concluding at Ayesha’s home. The grand celebration symbolised the unity and pride of Kota’s people in nurturing and supporting exceptional talent.

The event drew dignitaries and prominent figures, including Farooq Rana, National Secretary of Pehal Foundation, former District Sports Officer Abdul Aziz, Councilor Salina Sherry, and social worker Wazid Mansuri, among others, underscoring the community’s commitment to fostering and celebrating athletic achievement.

Ayesha’s victory carries a story of resilience and determination. A resident of Chhawni, she fulfilled the dream of her late father, Abdul Rahim, by winning the silver medal. Her father, who ran a tire repair shop on the Kota-Baran highway, aspired to see his children excel as national-level athletes. Tragically, he passed away on November 27 in a tire burst accident while at work.

Amid this heart-breaking loss, Ayesha displayed remarkable strength, persevering in her training and competition with the unwavering support of her family and community.

In the wake of her father’s sudden death, Ayesha’s family faced emotional and financial hardships. However, the Kota community stepped in, offering both moral and financial assistance to help them navigate this challenging time.

Competing in both the 100-meter and 200-meter races, Ayesha secured the silver medal in the 200 meters. Her achievement not only honours her father’s memory but also inspires countless others by proving that courage and determination can overcome even the greatest challenges.

source: http://www.radiancenews.com / Radiance News / Home> News> Sports / by Raheem Khan, Radiance News Bureau (headline edited) / December 16th, 2024

Andhra Teen Mohammad Ubaid Wins 9 Gold Medals in Rifle Shooting

Proddatur (YSR Kadapa District), ANDHRA PRADESH :

Proddatur prodigy excels in sports while balancing academic commitments, with eyes set on the Olympics

New Delhi :

In a time when youth are often told to prioritise studies over sports, Mohammad Ubaid, a 15-year-old from Proddatur in Andhra Pradesh, is proving that both can be pursued successfully. Over the past three years, Ubaid has won nine gold medals in rifle shooting at state and national competitions, all while maintaining a strong academic record. His remarkable achievements are bound to inspire young athletes across India.

Ubaid’s journey in shooting began in 2021, when he attended a summer camp at the George Club in Proddatur. There, under the guidance of his coach Raghavendra, he discovered a passion for the sport. Despite being only in the seventh grade, Ubaid committed himself to hours of daily training, quickly rising through the ranks and gaining recognition for his skills.

“Balancing academics and sports isn’t easy, but I stay disciplined. When I’m not studying, I’m practicing,” Ubaid says, sharing the secret to his success.

His hard work paid off early, with Ubaid winning two gold medals in the open sight category at the Andhra Pradesh State Level Championships in 2022. That same year, he took home another gold in the under-19 category at the SGFI State Level Competition in Rajahmundry, earning a spot at the national competition. He went on to represent his state at the national level in Delhi.

Ubaid’s winning streak continued into 2024. At the Andhra Pradesh State Level Championships, he won four gold medals across multiple categories, including sub-youth, youth, junior men, and men’s divisions. He also claimed a gold in the under-17 open sight category at the SGFI State Level Competition in Rajahmundry, qualifying for the national competition in Indore later this year.

Despite his impressive achievements in shooting, Ubaid remains committed to his education. He trains for four hours every day but temporarily reduced his practice schedule to focus on preparing for his Class 10 board exams. He plans to continue his studies at Vishwa Shanti Junior College in Vijayawada, where he will pursue both his academic and sporting goals.

“I want to compete on the international stage for India at least once in my lifetime. My ultimate goal is to participate in the Olympics, and that drives me every day,” says Ubaid.

With his determination and impressive track record, Ubaid is quickly becoming an inspiration to aspiring athletes across the country. As he prepares for the Under-17 national competition in Indore this December, all eyes will be on this young shooting star who continues to defy expectations.

source: http://www.clarionindia.com / Clarion India / Home> Editors Pick> Indian Muslim / by Mohammad Alamullah, Clarion India / November 29th, 2024

‘Bharat Ke Anmol Ratan’ awardee bodybuilder Mohtesham Ali felicitated

Hyderabad, TELANGANA :

Khan is a professional bodybuilder from Hyderabad and has earned many national and international titles including a silver medal in Mr World Body Building Championship, in the heavyweight category.

 Internationally acclaimed Bodybuilder Mir Mohtesham

Hyderabad:

A celebration was held in Hyderabad’s Media Plus Auditorium to celebrate Mohtesham Ali Khan, who received the prestigious national award ‘Bharat Ke Anmol’ for his journey of determination, perseverance, and excellence in the realm of bodybuilding and fitness.

Khan is a professional bodybuilder from Hyderabad and has earned many national and international titles including a silver medal in Mr World Body Building Championship, in the heavyweight category.

The event which was held on Sunday, August 14, witnessed the presence of dignitaries and supporters who gathered to honour Khan’s accomplishments.

The chief guest Abdul Khayyum Khan, minority affairs advisor for the government lauded Khan’s unwavering commitment to his craft.

Other prominent figures including AIMIM leader Ather Farooqui, BRS leader Khaleequr Rahman, Pathergatti Corporator, Syed Sohail Quadri and chairman of Vandhe Bharat, Ramesh Eppalapalli were also present at the event.

The felicitation ceremony was organised by the founder and CEO of Ethos Imagination, Varaprasad who emphasised that the evening was not merely a tribute to Mir Mohtesham Ali Khan’s individual accomplishments but also a testament to the power of dedication and hard work.

At the event, Khan expressed his heartfelt gratitude to everyone who contributed to his journey and stood by him both during challenges and triumphs.

source: http://www.siasat.com / The Siasat Daily / Home> News> Hyderabad / by Sayma Ahmed / August 13th, 2023

Shabnam Shaikh is India’s first doctorate in wrestling studies

Aambijalgaon, Kajrat (Ahmednagar District), MAHARASHTRA:

Dr. Shabnam Shabbir Sheikh
Dr. Shabnam Shabbir Sheikh

Shabnam Shabbir Shaikh of Aambijalgaon, Maharashtra, trashes stereotypes of Indian women. Having picked wrestling as her field, this 28-year-old woman has broken all the shackles that a girl child faces while growing up in a small village.

Hailing from the village Aambijalgaon, Karjat, of the district Ahmednagar Shabnam was born in Jammu where her father Shabbir Sarabhai Shaikh was posted in the Indian Army. She is the third child of her parents and she grew up seeing her mother Rizwana Begum looking after the house and the family. However, Shabnam’s father always wanted his daughter to be brave, self-reliant, and break social stereotypes.

A great votary of women’s education Shabbir Shaikh encouraged his wife Rizwana Begum to complete her MSc degree after their marriage.Due to her father’s frequent postings across the country, Shabnam did her schooling mostly at the Army schools in Ambala, Udhampur, Srinagar, and Ahmedabad. After her father’s retirement, the family settled in their native village and Shabnam joined the local school.

She joined the 11th class in the Dada Patil College, Karjat, in the science stream. despite an irregular and sluggish bus service to Karjat, she somehow managed to study and also attend coaching for wrestling.

Coach Shabnam with her team

Shabnam completed her Bachelor of Physical Education (BPE) from Aurangabad (Sambhajinagar). She also got a diploma certificate in Coaching from the National Institute of Patiala, Punjab, and later did her Master’s from Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University and then registered for her PhD studies.

Shabnam’s wrestling career began at the age of seven with her father as her coach. Shabnam says, “’My father is my first guru.”

Shabnam came from a family of wrestlers: her grandfather Sadarbhai Shaikh and great-grandfather were well-known wrestlers in the area. Their ancestral house has a wrestling arena where she watched male members of her family and neighbours practice wrestling. 

Shabnam had to face the scorn and disapproval of her extended family and relatives when she started practicing wrestling. People even asked her family why she was allowed to wear shorts.

Shabnam at the convocation of the University

Shabnam started with Kabaddi, a game that requires a lot of alacrity and stamina.

Initially, she did not get to enter the arena where her brothers wrestled, so she took to Kabbadi. “I used to think that if I wrestle and win that will be my victory. Even if I lose, it will also be my failure. Will happen… I expressed my desire to wrestle to my father. He responded positively.”

Shabnam’s father had a precondition for training her. He wanted her to concentrate on training and practice for the first two years. She started receiving training from her father and two elder brothers.

Every morning at 4 o’clock she was sent to pick lemons from their farm located about 10 km away. She learned the nuances of wrestling and participated in her first competition in Ludhiana (Punjab). She bagged a silver medal and there started her winning streak.

Shabnam says, “Once in my village, my father came to know about a competition in Delhi. I was just 10 years old at that time. He gave me a paper with the address written on it and a train ticket and wished me good luck for the journey.”

At that time she wondered why she was going alone, ‘Why don’t my parents come with me? But my father always used to tell me that some battles in life have to be fought alone,” she says going down memory lane.

Shabnam Shaikh with her trophy

Shabnam won the title of ‘Women Maharashtra Kesari’ in 2010. She has won the gold medal in ‘Shirdi Kesari’ for three consecutive years since 2009, the gold medal in ‘Latur’ in 2011, gold medal in the ‘Maharashtra State Kustigir Parishad’ competition for six consecutive years.

She has also participated in four inter-university competitions, 10 national competitions, and more than 15 state-level competitions. In the national level ‘Great Bharatkumari Wrestling Competition’, Shabnam is the first winner not only from the Muslim community but also from Maharashtra.

Shabnam says her father taught her that one doesn’t need an outer veil. “Always keep the veil that differentiates between good and bad people in front of your eyes!” he told her.

Shabnam says, “People used to question my parents’ ways. A girl should not play sports like wrestling. Teach her to fast (during Ramazan) and pray. Don’t you want only boys to play wrestling? Hundreds of questions were asked but my parents did not let the pressure of society affect me.

“My father never changed his opinion under the pressure of society. He never let these things affect my game. I always got the support of my parents and my elder brothers.”

Shabnam’s mother Rizwana Begum says, “I have not two, but three ‘sons’! My brothers did not give me a share of our parents’ property. But, I will not let this injustice happen to my daughter. I will give her everything she deserves. Shabnam has brought glory to us. As a mother, I will always be proud of her.”

Shabnam’s thesis for her Ph.D. degree is ‘Comparative study of emotional maturity of rural and urban women wrestlers in Maharashtra’. She toured the entire state for research.

Shabnam is the first woman in India to do a doctorate in sports studies. While doing her Ph.D. in Wrestling, there were often deliberate attempts to embarrass and thwart her effort to earn a doctorate.

In the year 2017, Shabnam was selected as the junior coach of the Wrestling Women’s Association of India; she imparted wrestling training to Anushka Sharma and Salman Khan for the film ‘Sultan‘. Shabnam has represented India in Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan.

She currently works as a ‘Senior Trainer’ in the ‘Wrestling Women’s Association’ of India. India has never had success in the ‘World Women’s Wrestling Championship’ till now. However, in the ‘Under-20 World Championship’ of 2023 India won seven medals in ‘Women’s Wrestling’. Out of these, three are gold medals.

Shabnam Shaikh after her victory in a foreign location

Dr. Shabnam Shaikh is today known as the ‘International Wrestling Coach.

Shabnam says, “I was selected as the coach of ‘Maharashtra Team’ for the national tournament held in Gujarat last year. Twenty-four hours ago, my name was canceled! I was not given any idea about this.”

“Many times, despite having the right credentials and qualifications, I am not given a chance. Probably, because I live with self-respect! I always think that when someone asks me, “How did you get all this?’ I should proudly tell him, ‘I have earned it through my hard work.’

Shabnam says, “Wrestling gave me identity. Sometimes I wonder, ‘Is wrestling a curse or a blessing for me?’ Initially, relatives and other people of the society hated seeing me wrestle.

“Later, when I started winning competitions, people would post the news of my success on their ‘status’ on various social media platforms and write the caption, ‘Congratulations and best wishes to our sister or relative.’

After reading the news of my winning, I became everyone’s relative at that time! But, they speak against me on behind my back! However, now they hesitate to speak against me openly!”

Shabnam says, “Most of the time I am rejected for marriage. I play wrestling. The suitors who come to see as a potential candidate for marriage, see my trophies and see ‘Doctor’ written next to my name. When they go home their answer is, ‘We don’t want such an educated girl.'”   

Shabnam continues to work hard to ensure that other girls do not face what she has.

Her advice to the youth: “No matter what happens, do not get tired. Do not give up the fight.” Her dream is to build a wrestling center for girls.

source: http://www.awazthevoice.in / Awaz, The Voice / Home> Story / by Chaya Kaveri / February 29th, 2024

Wazeer Ahmad Khan is Asian 65+ Champion

Rampur, UTTAR PRADESH:

The Myanmar Chess Federation organized the Asian Seniors Championship 2016 from 27 October to 04 November at Hotel Hazel, Mandalay, Myanmar.

The tournament was held in two categories — for players aged above 50 and 65. India’s 69-year-old IM Wazeer Ahmad Khan won the gold in the 65+ category where 18 players competed.

The tournament had 56 players from 12 countries competing for the medals. We have a quick report.

Wazeer Ahmad Khan is Asian Seniors 65+ Champion

69-years-old IM Wazeer Ahmad Khan of Rampur in Uttar Pradesh is the Asian Seniors 65+ Champion. He began the event as the fifth seed…


…but rampaged to a perfect 9.0/9 to claim the title.
Khan receiving his trophy from the Asian Chess Federation Secretary General Hisham Al Taher.
New Zealand’s CM Helen Milligan (2053; extreme left) was declared the women’s champion — she was the only woman competing in the entire 56-player event — while Myanmar’s Myint Han (2281; second from right) won the Asian Seniors 50+ Championship with 8.0/9.

New Zealand’s CM Helen Milligan (2053; extreme left) was declared the women’s champion — she was the only woman competing in the entire 56-player event — while Myanmar’s Myint Han (2281; second from right) won the Asian Seniors 50+ Championship with 8.0/9.

Final Ranking after 9 Rounds (65+)

Rk.SNo NamesexFEDRtgPts. TB1  TB2  TB3 
15IMWazeer Ahmad Khan IND18479,00,049,538,5
214 Saw Kyaw Nyein MYA06,50,047,035,0
31 Gibbons Robert NZL19546,01,045,036,5

Final Ranking after 9 Rounds (50+)

Rk.SNo NamesexFEDRtgPts. TB1  TB2  TB3 
13 Myint Han MYA22818,00,037,5433,0
21IMLodhi Mahmood PAK23407,50,539,5419,0
37IMMohandesi Shahin IRI21997,50,537,5410,5

source: http://www.chessbase.in / Chess Base / Home> India / by Priyadarshan Banjan / December 10th, 2016

Telangana boxer Hussamuddin nominated for Arjuna Award

Nizamabad, TELANGANA:

Hussamuddin is a two-time bronze medal winner from Commonwealth Games from 2018 Gold Cost and 2022 Birmingham

Telangana boxer Hussamuddin nominated for Arjuna Award
Mohammad Hussamuddin

Hyderabad: 

Telangana boxer from Nizamabad Mohammed Hussamuddin on Wednesday has been nominated for the Arjuna Award while shuttlers Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty duo were selected for the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award.

Hussamuddin is a two-time bronze medal winner from Commonwealth Games from 2018 Gold Cost and 2022 Birmingham. He also won bronze each at World Championships in 2023 and Asian Championships in 2022.

Other sportspersons to be nominated for the Arjuna Award include men’s hockey players Krishan Bahadur Pathak and Sushila Chanu, archers Ojas Pravin Deotale and Aditi Gopichand Swami, chess player R Vaishali, golfer Diksha Dagar, shooter Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar, wrestler Antim Panghal, Asian Games silver medallist wushu player Naorem Roshibina Devi and paddler Ayhika Mukherjee among others.

source: http://www.telanganatoday.com / Telangana Today / Home> News / Telangana Today / December 13th, 2023

Book Excerpt: Barsa By Kadeeja Mumtas

Kattoor (Thrissur District),KERALA:

Khadija Mumtaz - Wikipedia

Barsa, written by Kadeeja Mumtas, is the first Malayalam novel to be set in Saudi Arabia and as its introduction states, is a record of “a woman’s scrutiny of Islamic scriptures and Muslim life”.

Barsa, as its introduction states, is the first Malayalam novel to be set in Saudi Arabia. Written by Kadeeja Mumtas and translated into English by K M Sherrif, the book acts as a record of “a woman’s scrutiny of Islamic scriptures and Muslim life”. 

Sabitha, the protagonist of the novel, after moving to Saudi Arabia, starts questioning every aspect of her every day life – including religion.


The novel traces her personal journey as she is caught amidst culture, religion, and personal agency, and struggles to assert her own identity.

One hot afternoon, Rasheed and Sabitha first stepped out like refugees on the large expanse of land surrounding the grand mosque which housed the holy Ka’aba. Other travellers who knew their way hurriedly moved on while the two of them stood hesitantly at the crossroads, unsure of their next step. The coppery glare of the sun sat on their heads like the legs of a giant spider.

Rasheed glanced at Sabitha. He could sense her discomfort in the headscarf and the abaya, looking like a lawyer’s coat, which the Malayali workers at the airport had helped her buy. But he thought that even in those uncomfortable clothes, Doctor Prabhakaran’s niece, with her wheatish complexion, had a particular charm. He wanted to tell her this with a little smile, but with his tongue stuck to the roof of his dry mouth. He just couldn’t do it, which was a pity. If he had, maybe the wrinkles on her forehead would have lost at least one crease.

A yellow taxi backed up and stopped near them. Th e face of a man with a shabby headdress clamped down by a black ring came into view, and an arm jerked out of the window at the driver’s seat. “Fain aabga ruh?” Rasheed guessed he was asking where they wanted to go and replied, “Mudeeriya Musthashfa”—the Health Directorate. He had gleaned the Arabic expression from the conversation he had had in halting English with the Palestinian doctor they had met at the airport emergency service. He had seen Sabitha too write it down in her diary.

“Ta’al ”—come. Th e driver opened the car doors and invited them in. As he could not understand the driver’s sarcastic remark, directed obviously at his fairly large suitcase, Rasheed, with some embarrassment, chose to put it on his lap as he sat down and leaned back comfortably.

As the car sped at breakneck speed, Sabitha felt a tremor run through her, but she suppressed it immediately. She felt helpless at having to depend on a complete stranger, an Arab driver whose language she did not know. But she was also reassured by Rasheed’s presence. They had reached this far, trusting strangers, many of whose languages they did not know.

As they boarded the Saudi Airlines flight to Riyadh from Mumbai, Thambi, the man from their ticketing agents Ajanta Travels, had said reassuringly, “The flight will take about four and a half hours. Someone from the Ministry will be waiting to receive you. There is nothing to worry about, Riyadh is a nice city. Okay then, happy journey!”

From the moment Thambi, with that characteristic city dweller’s way of waving goodbye had raised his hands and walked away, Rasheed and Sabitha had taken comfort in each other’s presence. They could make this journey together only because of their decision to stick to each other, come what may. At the interview in Mumbai, it was Sabitha who was selected first, as a lady gynaecologist. The interview for ophthalmologists had not yet been conducted and, as there were a large number of applicants, Rasheed was not too hopeful of getting in. When she was asked to sign the contract, Sabitha hesitated, “I will sign only if my husband too is selected.” She had by then realised that lady gynaecologists were much in demand. “You sign; even if he is not selected, he can come with you on a family visa and then try for a job there.”

The man at Ajanta Travels, a go-getter, tried to hustle her. “No, I am not that keen to go to the Gulf to work. I will go only if he also gets a job there.” Her stubbornness paid off . An interview was fixed for Rasheed as a special case.


Excerpted with permission from Barsa, by Kadeeja Mumtas, Yoda Press. You can buy this book at 20% off at the FII-Yoda Press Winter Book Sale on 21st and 22nd December 2018 in New Delhi. For more details, check out the sale page.

source: http://www.feminisminindia.com / Feminism In India – FII / Home> Culture> Books / by FII Team / December 21st, 2018

Asian Games: India’s Mohammed Afsal claims silver in men’s 800m in tight race

KERALA:
Afsal clocked 1:48.43s to claim the silver.

Asian Games: India’s Mohammed Afsal claims silver in men’s 800m in tight race
Indias Mohammed Afsal Pulikkalakath waves the national flag after finishing second in the Mens 800m Final event at the 19th Asian Games

Hangzhou : 

Indian athlete Mohammed Afsal Pulikkalath bagged a silver medal in the men’s 800m final in the Asian Games on Tuesday. Afsal had a shot at the gold and he was inches away from finishing first but Saudi Arabia’s Essa Ali Kzwani went past the Indian runner towards the end.

Afsal clocked 1:48.43s to claim the silver. The Saudi Arabian athlete surpassed him by 0.39s as he finished with a timing of 1:48.05s. The bronze medal was claimed by Oman’s Husain Mohsin Husain who clocked 1:48.51s. Krishan Kumar was the other Indian who participated in the race but got disqualified.

Earlier in the day, Indian runner Parul Chaudhary etched her name in the history book by winning a gold medal in the Women’s 5000m. Returning to the field after bagging a silver medal in the women’s 3000-metre steeplechase on Monday, Parul finished with a timing of 15:14.75 for the gold medal. She became the first Indian to win gold in the women’s 5000m event at the Asian Games.

source: http://www.telanganatoday.com / Telangana Today / Home> India / by PTI / October 03rd, 2023

CWG silver medallist Abdulla Aboobacker wins gold in triple jump at Mikio Oda Memorial Athletics Meet in Japan

KERALA:

Abdulla Aboobacker

The 27-year-old achieved his season-best score in the tournament.

Commonwealth Games 2022 silver medallist triple jumper Abdulla Aboobacker Narangolintevida clinched the gold medal clocking a season-best score of 16.31m in the Mikio Oda Memorial Athletics meet in Hiroshima, Japan. The 27-year-old Keralite clocked his season-best score twice in the fifth and sixth attempts and notched up a good performance in the maiden foreign meet of the season.

Abdulla crossed the 16m mark five times in seven attempts overall in the Mikio Oda Memorial. Earlier this year, he claimed the third spot in two domestic meets by clocking 15.93m and 15.77m (Indian Open Jumps and Indian Grand Prix). The Keralite, after below-average performances in the domestic meet this year, has shown good improvement by constantly crossing the 16m mark in Japan.

Last year, he also won the silver medal at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games 2022 with a result of 17.02m, just 0.1m behind the gold medal mark. Compatriot Eldhose Paul clinched the gold medal at CWG 2022 by clocking 17.03m.

The 2022 season was one of the most successful ones for the Keralite. He crossed the 17m mark thrice and recorded his personal best mark of 17.19m in the Indian Grand Prix held in Bhubaneshwar. The 27-year-old also qualified for the World Athletic Championships 2022, but put in a below-average performance (best score-16.45m).

The qualification mark for World Athletics Championships 2023 stands at 17.20m. Abdulla needs to get back to his original form ahead of the all-important Senior Federation Cup and the National Inter-States Meet, to secure automatic qualification for the Worlds.

Among the other Indian Triple Jumpers, Praveen Chitravel came close to qualifying for the World Championships as he notched up a personal best score of 17.17m in the Indian Open Jumps and won the silver medal in the Asian Indoor Athletics Championships recently.

Meanwhile, Eldhose Paul will soon be in action alongside Tokyo Olympics gold medallist Neeraj Chopra in the Doha Diamond League, starting May 5, 2023.

source: http://www.khelnow.com / Khel Now / Home> Athletics / by M Sudharshan / April 30th, 2023

Syed Abdul Rahim’s role in golden era of Indian football immortalized in biopic Maidaan

Hyderabad , ANDHRA PRADESH / TELANGANA :

Syed Abdul Rahim and Ajay Devgn in the poster of Maidaan
Syed Abdul Rahim and Ajay Devgn in the poster of Maidaan

In an era of Indians recognizing their unsung heroes and reviving their memories, a biopic on Syed Abdul Rahim, India’s most successful football coach, is all set to be released on June 23.

The teaser of the film Maidaan featuring Ajay Devgn as the legendary coach of the Indian national football team was released by Zee Films recently. It has already crossed 35 million views of YouTube in five days.

Under Syed Abdul Rahim’s guidance, the Indian team was rated as one of the most powerful teams in the sport, and the period – 1952-1962 turned out to be the golden period of Indian football.

The teaser opens with the resounding music of A R Rahman and the powerful image of the Indians playing Yugoslavia (a country now spilt into Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro, and Serbia) in heavy rain.

It seems the bare-footed Indians lost the match against Yugoslavia as Rahim (Ajay Devgn) is shown in tears in the teaser. The film is produced by Bonny Kapoor.

According to reports, from his early days, this Hyderabad-born Rahim spotted talented boys on the football fields of Hyderabad and trained them to cobble up an Indian team.

With him as the coach of the national team, India finished fourth in the Melbourne Olympics and won the gold medal in the Asian Games of 1962 beating Japan and Korea.

Although Rahim is credited for ushering in the Golden Era of Indian football, he passed away unsung. He was never conferred with any award and many say he was too focused on coaching and never mingled with leaders or influencers to get noticed by them.

Maidaan’s teaser is a 90-second clip that tells the story of a fight against the odds by Rahim and his Indian team. The trailer opens with monochrome shots from the 1952 Summer Olympics held in Helsinki (Finland). India fared badly on that occasion and lost 10-1 to Yugoslavia in the preliminary round.

The resounding defeat did not discourage Rahim; instead, it brought out his fighting spirit.

He studied the training methods used by the European teams. Rahim studied their training and tactics and then modified the same to suit Indian conditions. He realized that Indian players had less physical stamina and there was no point copying the European methodology.

Rahim adapted the European ways to suit the Indians and it worked wonders. It must have taken Rahim’s meticulous planning and precision in training the Indians that helped the team perform great in the next Olympic Games in 1956 when India defeated Australia

On 1st December 1956, India stunned the world with the team’s excellent performance and defeating host Australia 4-2. Ace striker Neville D’Souza scored a hat trick and Krishnaswamy scored one goal.

This match is an abiding memory of the glorious era of Indian football.

Today, Indian football fans are disappointed to see Australia plays in the final phase of the FIFA World Cup while India has dropped to the bottom. Indian team employs expensive foreign coaches and support staff but the results are not commensurate with the efforts and expenses.

Sources said the filmmakers had consulted the Football legend’s son S.S. Hakim who died in 2021. Hakim was an Air Force officer who had played in the Olympics and was a highly qualified coach and referee too.

In the film, Ajay Devgn speaks the Hyderabadi (Deccani) version of Urdu. After many delays due to the pandemic and other reasons, the film is scheduled for a theatrical release on 23rd June 2023.

source: http://www.awazthevoice.in / Awaz, The Voice / Home> Story / by ATV, posted by Aasha Khosa / April 15th, 2023