Syed Abdul Rahim or the “architect of modern Indian football” led the Indian team to the semi-finals of the 1956 Melbourne Olympic Football Championship. Rahim has been passionate about sports since he was a child, and he had outstanding football skills at a very young age. Let’s delve into more facts about Syed Abdul Rahim.
Biography/Wiki
Syed was born on August 17, 1909 in Hyderabad and was an all-rounder. He used to participate in school sports events and did well academically. The introduction of football ‘culture’ to Hyderabad in the mid-1980s inspired Rahim and attracted him to the sport. He then went on to play for his university’s Osmania University football team. He was a graduate and began his career as a school teacher. However, he eventually became a coach and helped India achieve glory.
family
Syed is married and has a son, Syed Shahid Hakim, a former Olympic football and FIFA official.
Syed Shahid Hakim
coaching career
- Syed has been called the Stan Kallis of India. He was one of Hyderabad’s greatest players from the 1920s to early 1940s, when he played for “Kamal Club”, one of the best teams in the Hyderabad local league at that time.
1960 Rome Olympics Indian Football Team
- The Hyderabad Football Association was established in 1939 and three years later, in 1942, SM Hardy became the president of the Hyderabad Football Association and Rahim served as the secretary until his death.
- Raheem’s coaching style is unconventional, innovative and effective. In order to improve players’ reflexes, speed, endurance, skills and techniques, he organizes customized football tournaments for teenagers. Said did not follow the traditional British dribbling style. In 1943, when he became the coach of the Hyderabad City Police (HCP) or City Afghans, he introduced more concepts of passing and focused on ambidextrous football, the kicking of the ball with two feet. ability.
Syed Abdul Rahim – Hyderabad City Police
- In just a few months, he transformed HCP into a dominant local team, defeating a team including England cricket and football internationals in the 1943 Ashkin Cup final in Bangalore. The Royal Air Force team achieved a famous victory and became the focus of attention. “Dennis Compton.” They also successfully challenged the then-powerful Bengal football team, defeating Mohun Bagan in the 1950 Durand Cup final.
- In 1950, he became the coach of the Indian national football team and also managed the Hyderabad City Police.
- After Rahim took over as India’s new coach, he changed the face of the Indian team by eliminating the 1948 Olympic team. He makes decisions like these that increase the team’s productivity and efficiency, even if it means letting go of underperforming stars and supporting new talent.
- Rahim served as India’s head coach for the first time when India hosted the Asian Games in 1951. Rahim made India proud as India beat Iran 1-0 in the final to win the gold medal.
- After India’s defeat at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics, senior AIFF officials intervened to prevent Rahim from selecting the team of his choice.
Syed Abdul Rahim – Indian football team at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics
- HPC won all 12 national championships held in 1950, 1957 and 1959.
- Before 1959, Hyderabad and Andhra were considered two separate football entities. Since then, the two entities have been merged into one – the Andhra Pradesh Football Association, in which Rahim played a key role.
- In the 1960 Rome Olympics, the Indian team did not get off to a smooth start; after losing 1-2 to the South Korean team, the Indian team counterattacked by defeating the Japanese team 2-0 in the next game. In the last match of the group, the Indian team defeated Thailand 4-1 to advance to the next stage. India displayed such spirit at the Olympics and became a spectacle to watch.
favorite thing
Said’s favorite football team is the Hungarian team, and his favorite football players are Gustav Sebes and Robert André Froyal.
die
Said died of cancer in India on June 11, 1963 (age 53 at the time of death). He retired as the principal of a high school in Hyderabad and remained associated with the sport until his untimely death. He never received the accolades he deserved, winning only one trophy in the I-League and the ‘Sayed Abdul Rahim Best Coach Award’ was named after him.
fact
- Syed Abdul Rahim used to smoke a lot.
- Under his outstanding coaching, the HCP team won five consecutive Rangers Cup championships, a record that still stands today. The team has also reached the Durand Cup finals 5 times and won 3 championships.
- In 1952, the Indian football team participated in the Finland Olympics. The Indian team suffered a 10-1 defeat at the hands of Yugoslavia, mainly because the Indian team did not wear boots. When the Indian team returned, the AIFF announced that players must wear sneakers while playing for the Indian team.
There are no Indian players wearing boots.
- After a humiliating exit from the Olympics due to a boot fiasco, Raheem took inspiration from Hungary’s aggressive 4-2-4 formation and changed the national team’s formation from center back to a “W formation.” Initially, the decision was not taken well but not everyone understood the motivation behind Raheem. However, this decision paid off when India defeated its arch-rival Pakistan in the 1952 Four-Way Tournament in Dhaka.
- In the 1954 Asian Games, India was eliminated in the group stage. However, Rahim’s drive and confidence in the team came to the rescue and India shocked everyone by beating hosts Australia in the quarter-finals to finish fourth.
- In the 1960 Rome Olympics, the Indian team was placed in the death group along with Hungary, France and Peru. They lost to Hungary and Peru 2-1 and 3-1 respectively, but drew 1-1 with France.
- Winning the gold medal at the 1962 Asian Games was not all smooth sailing for the Indian team. To add insult to injury, most of the Indian athletes had to fly back to India due to various global political reasons.Indian players lost hope, but Rahim fulfilled his duties as coach and took the team to the streets of Jakarta, saying, “Kal aap logon se mujhe ek tohfa chahiye….kal aap sona jitlo” means, “Tomorrow I want you to give me a gift…a gold medal.” Such strong words completely changed the face of the team. India used the injured Jarnail Singh as a forward in the final and let the college player play center. The striker surprised South Korea. Rahim’s risk-taking paid off when Janel gave India a 2-0 lead just before half-time. The Indian team defended strongly and South Korea only scored one goal in the second half. At this point, the Indian team won the Asian Games gold medal 2-1, creating the pinnacle of Indian football.
- India surprised everyone with their indomitable spirit at the 1960 Rome Olympics and they soon became one of the favorites to win the 1962 Asian Games in Jakarta. The Indian team did not get off to a good start in this World Cup; after losing 1-2 to South Korea, the Indian team counterattacked with a 2-0 victory over Japan in the next game. In the last match of the group, the Indian team defeated Thailand 4-1 to advance to the next stage.
- Under his coaching, 1945 to 1965 was considered the “Golden Age of Hyderabad Football”, and 1951 and 1962 were considered the “Golden Age of Indian Football”.
- Ajay Devgn will star as Syed Abdul Rahim in the sports biopic, produced by Boney Kapoor and directed by ad film director Amit Sharma.
Categories: Biography
Source: HIS Education