oon after the independence, India got a chance to field their football side in an international match and that too in the prestigious summer Olympic Games, 1948 held in London. The squad had 4 representatives from Mohun Bagan – Talimeran Aao (better known as T. Aao as the captain), Sailen Manna and Mahabeer Prasad as the key players, and Balaidas Chatterjee as the coach.

Today, July 31 is definitely a red-letter day in Indian sports. On 31st July 1948, the first eleven men in our independent India’s footballing history led by T. Aao walked into the middle of Cricklefields Stadium to take on France, eight of them wearing thick socks cut off at the ankles and bare feet strapped up to protect them and to provide grip, while other three preferred to put on boots. India really put up a splendid show lauded by all 17,000 spectators present at the arena for their skills, as well as, sportsmanship and went down fighting to the mighty French side by 2-1. Trailing by one goal at the lemon break, India scored the equaliser in the 70th minute through Sarangpani Raman, who also later joined Mohun Bagan. With just one minute to go before the final whistle, France scored the winner to edge past India to earn the quarter-final berth. The history could have been penned very differently if the brilliant French custodian Guy Rouxel didn’t manage to save two spot-kicks from Manna and Prasad respectively in two halves. 

At the post-match press conference, when asked why Indians played barefoot, skipper Talimeren Aao famously replied, “In India, we play football, whereas you play bootball!” The comment didn’t only win over the hard-to-please British media but made headlines in several London dailies. “The French had been given a run for their money – and that, too, by the barefooted Indians!”, the British media reported. Soon after, King George VI invited the whole team to the Buckingham Palace, where Ao was offered a contract to join the glamorous English club Arsenal, but the legend politely turned it down and decided to stay with his favourite Mohun Bagan. The king jokingly lifted up Bagan legend Sailen Manna’s leg, telling him it was just to check if he really had legs of steel as it appeared from the strength of his shots.

1st picture: The whole Indian team with T. Aao sitting in the centre, Raman just left to him and Manna sitting further left, while Prasad standing 2nd from left and B.D. Chatterjee standing in far right.

2nd picture: The team is arriving at the field led by T. Aao in front.

3rd picture: Indian skipper T. Aao shaking hands with his French counterpart Gabriel Robert as Swedish referee Gunnar Dahlner looks on before the start of the match.

Picture and Info courtesy: Wikipedia