But I have to agree that Hyderabad has around 25-30(more adding up) 5-a-side turfs across the city. All this has come up in last 3 years only. It has age groups 8-30 years playing almost everyday.
5 years ago I used to struggle to find any grounds to play football but now there are turfs just 2 kms away from my home. End of the day all good for growth of the game.
Those times were different, Nizam Time with Hyderabad police recruiting Footballers from city clubs, Anglo Indian and militaray cantonments of Secunderabad supported Football.
Now the population profile of Hyderabad is different then 1940s 1950s. Naturally Sports choices will be different.
Cricket became numero uno sport with the likes of Azharuddin and Tennis with Sania Mirza. There is no Football iconic figure for Hyderabad youngsters to look in awe
Similar decline can be seen in Bombay and Calcutta with Hockey. As you change the name of cities, things associated with past gets left behind including sports.
They should focus on new beginning of Football in Hyderabad instead of nostalgia about 1940s.
Indian football team took part in Olympics in between 1948 and 1960 India won football gold medal in 1962 Asian games
Perhaps very few Hyderabadis know that Indian Football team (once called as Brazil of Asia) mostly comprising players from city took part in Olympics in between 1948 and 1960 and won gold in Asian games. Even as the World Cup comes to an end on Sunday, with finals between France and Croatia (the underdog) old timers recollect past glory.
Beginning from 1948 England Olympics, the players from Hyderabad played in 1952 (Helsinki), 1956 (Melbourne) and 1960 (Rome). In the Olympics played in Melbourne, the Indian team proved their mettle also reached in the Semi-Final and after that never qualified for this International fete after 1960. The city produced Dhanraj, considered as the legend, who played in 1948 England Olympics. Later, some of the finest players rose from the Hyderabad Police Foot Ball Team under legendary Physical Director, S A Rahim.
The policemen including S K Moinuddin (1952), Noor Mohammed (1952 & 1956), S K Azeezuddin (1952 & 1956), S A Lateef (1956 & 1960), Zulfiqauruddin (1956) and Yousuf Khan (1960) played during these Olympics representing the nation. Some other players from the City who took part the Olympics are S A Salam (1956), Peter Thangaraj, a Goal Keeper (1956-60), Ahmed Hussain (1956), T Balram (1956 & 60), D Kannan (1960), S H H Hamed (1960) and S S Hakeem (1960).
India wins Gold medal in 1962 Asian Games Some of the other players who played for Asian games G Y S Laiq, Anthony Patrik, Rahmatullah, Yousuf Khan, DMK Afzal, Naimuddin, Md Habeeb, Md Akber, Shabbir Ali and Md Fareed. S A Rahim was the coach of the Indian team which won Gold in 1962 Asian Games. They represented in Indian Team till Asian games hosted by India in Delhi in 1984. “In those days players were challenging and mostly played barefoot. In grass they were the best, but following usage of Astro-turf for football, the Indian team was not able keep the pace,” said, Aleem Khan, Former International/ Coach of Sports Authority of AP & Telangana.
The coach recalls how the Fateh Maidan club provided space for the budding talent, which now does not even have the place for football players to play. Transforming the space meant for the football in the L B Stadium into tennis court a few decades ago was the last nail to end patronage enjoyed by the football.
Another legend of later years, Victor Amalraj who captained in India at International level during 1980s said that during those days they had a football culture across the nation, which completely vanished from the City. “We have a culture in Bengal, Goa, Kerala and North East now. There is no more football culture and legacy could not carry forward in the City. Like craze of Gopi Chand Academy for badminton the youngsters craved to play football in those decades. One of the major reasons for lack of encouragement is lack of infrastructure and support in local academies for sports,” he said.
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How Hyderabad is becoming a hub for five-a-side football in India
The capital of Telangana is emerging as a new hotbed of footballing talent, reliving its past glory in a new format of the game.
5 years ago I used to struggle to find any grounds to play football but now there are turfs just 2 kms away from my home. End of the day all good for growth of the game.
Now the population profile of Hyderabad is different then 1940s 1950s. Naturally Sports choices will be different.
Cricket became numero uno sport with the likes of Azharuddin and Tennis with Sania Mirza. There is no Football iconic figure for Hyderabad youngsters to look in awe
Similar decline can be seen in Bombay and Calcutta with Hockey. As you change the name of cities, things associated with past gets left behind including sports.
They should focus on new beginning of Football in Hyderabad instead of nostalgia about 1940s.
Old-timers recollect past glory of city football
Indian football team took part in Olympics in between 1948 and 1960
India won football gold medal in 1962 Asian games
The policemen including S K Moinuddin (1952), Noor Mohammed (1952 & 1956), S K Azeezuddin (1952 & 1956), S A Lateef (1956 & 1960), Zulfiqauruddin (1956) and Yousuf Khan (1960) played during these Olympics representing the nation. Some other players from the City who took part the Olympics are S A Salam (1956), Peter Thangaraj, a Goal Keeper (1956-60), Ahmed Hussain (1956), T Balram (1956 & 60), D Kannan (1960), S H H Hamed (1960) and S S Hakeem (1960).
India wins Gold medal in 1962 Asian Games
Some of the other players who played for Asian games G Y S Laiq, Anthony Patrik, Rahmatullah, Yousuf Khan, DMK Afzal, Naimuddin, Md Habeeb, Md Akber, Shabbir Ali and Md Fareed. S A Rahim was the coach of the Indian team which won Gold in 1962 Asian Games. They represented in Indian Team till Asian games hosted by India in Delhi in 1984. “In those days players were challenging and mostly played barefoot. In grass they were the best, but following usage of Astro-turf for football, the Indian team was not able keep the pace,” said, Aleem Khan, Former International/ Coach of Sports Authority of AP & Telangana.
The coach recalls how the Fateh Maidan club provided space for the budding talent, which now does not even have the place for football players to play. Transforming the space meant for the football in the L B Stadium into tennis court a few decades ago was the last nail to end patronage enjoyed by the football.