Category: ISL

Updates from AIFF

How much it would help Indian football develop, God Knows. All India Football Federation or AIFF has taken initiative to rename itself as FFB or Bharat Football Federation. India would be then sporting as ‘Bharat’ in the international circuit. The process is on. It’s still in the proposal and approval-seeking phase.

Furthermore, Mr. Chaubey and his colleagues have passed a new resolution requiring both the national anthem (‘Jana Gana Mana’) and the national song (‘Vande Mataram’) to be played before all official matches under their aegis.

By the way, AIFF has already proposed an annual football calendar for the top-tier Indian teams. ISL, Durand and Fed Cup will remain as the major tourneys. More updates are likely to come soon about PIO/ OCI footballers for the ISL clubs. 

 

31st July : 1st Olympic campaign of Indian Football Team

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. 

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