highlights
Syed Abdul Rahim is credited with the rise of Indian football in the 1960s.
Ajay Devgan will play the role of Abdul Rahim in the film Maidaan directed by Amit Sharma.
Rahim served as a coach for more than a decade from 1950 to 1963.
Bollywood The film ‘Maidaan’ has been made to tell the story of a great football coach Syed Abdul Rahim. Syed Abdul Rahim is credited with the rise of Indian football in the 1960s. Ajay Devgn has played the role of Abdul Rahim in this film directed by Amit Sharma. Abdul Rahim served as the coach of the Indian football team from 1950 to 1963, i.e. for more than a decade. During what is considered the ‘Golden Age of Indian Football’, the country won two gold medals at the Asian Games in 1951 and 1962.
A lot can be said about Indian football and its state today. But, what is undeniable is the rich history of football that has always existed in this country. One of the biggest but least appreciated names of Indian football is none other than Abdul Rahim. Well, it seems like the veteran coach has now got his much-awaited honor with the release of ‘Maidan’. If you also want to know more about Indian football legend Abdul Rahim, then come take a walk down memory lane with us…
Who is Syed Abdul Rahim?
Syed Abdul Rahim was born on August 17, 1909 in Hyderabad. He was fondly called Rahim Saheb. He represented several college football teams growing up. Initially he became a teacher in many institutions like Kachiguda Middle School, Urdu Sharif School, Darul-ul-Uloom High School and Chaderghat High School. Rahim’s introduction to coaching came in 1943 when he took charge of the Hyderabad Football Association. He remained on this post till his death. Rahim breathed his last on 11 June 1963 at the age of 53.
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Abdul Rahim became the coach of Hyderabad Police in 1950. Under his guidance the team won the Rovers Cup five times in a row and won the Durand Cup four times. But, his and Indian football’s pinnacle was reached in the 13 years he spent coaching the Indian football team from 1950 onwards. This period is considered the ‘Golden Age of Indian Football’.
Architect of Indian Football
Abdul Rahim, considered the architect of Indian football, was the coach of Indian football from 1950-1963. It was under his supervision and his then advanced strategies that the Indian football team reached the semi-finals of the 1956 Melbourne Olympics. The Indian team became the first Asian team to reach that prestigious milestone. After refusing to participate in the 1950 FIFA World Cup, India won the gold medal at the 1951 Asian Games by defeating a strong Iranian team 1–0 in front of a packed home crowd in Delhi in the presence of Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. This journey to the top of the Asian football world was possible due to the foresight and vision of Rahim Sahab, who emphasized the importance of focusing on training to help weak legs while supporting the ‘one-touch’ style of football. I went.
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Chose 4-2-4 format
But, his greatest moment of brilliance came when the revolutionary coach chose a 4-2-4 system. This was a format that was popularized by the Brazilian team in the 1958 and 1962 World Cups. Rahim Sahab’s contribution to Indian football did not stop even after his retirement from the game. What characterized him was his intention and passion to develop and nurture players who could become even better coaches to help take Indian football forward.
Abdul Rahim was quoted as saying in an interview to the Indian Express in 1955, “First of all, we must create or train producers and trainers.” He had said, “Any short-term plan for training existing footballers or any plan to send footballers abroad for training will do good for the game in the long term.”
For the All India Football Federation (AIFF), his dream of developing a network of coaches to help discover and develop talent across the country remains a dream. For those who want to be aware of the rich history of Indian football, the film Maidan promises to provide a glimpse of the same.
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Tags: AIFF, Ajay Devgn, bollywood, Indian football, Indian Footballer
FIRST PUBLISHED: April 15, 2024, 15:41 IST