Showing posts with label Excerpts from Bumpy Roads (Football match in Kashmir). Show all posts
Showing posts with label Excerpts from Bumpy Roads (Football match in Kashmir). Show all posts

Wednesday 9 December 2020

Excerpts from Bumpy Roads (Football matches in Kashmir)

 
When I think of the football games in my Valley, my heart swells with happy memories. For me, it was a great joy to watch football matches in the serene college grounds of Sopore (Subhan Stadium). With a wonderful twist of his body, Mr. Abdullah from Srinagar would dribble the ball skillfully down the center of the field and blow on his whistle. At this signal, the players would charge down the football field as if it was the war of 1812, and play their hearts out until his final whistle signaled the end of the game. Both teams would play awesomely well in these games, and of course one team would come out victorious at their end, unlike in war, where no nation ever really wins.I think of some of players of that time and the image of Mr. Farooq Ahmad (Farooqi) of the Road Transport Corporation's team comes into my mind. He would kick the ball so forcefully and with such accuracy all the way from the center of the field, so that that it would either only require a short kick to reach the goal; sometimes it would land directly in the goal. The quick reflexes of Mr. Ghulam Hassan Anim and Abdul Majeed Kakroo (Police Department football team) would make them the team treasure. Some players had unique nick names which wonderfully summarized their talent. The famous trio of Mr. Ghulam Haasan Kar, Dr Atta Mohammad & Mr. Bashir Ahmad Kanna were known as Trishul (trident) because of their fast reflexes and excellently timed coordination. They would not just play the game, but instead let us spectators reflect that they could compose fine tunes with it.



Making short passes, they would keep maneuvering the ball to the defensive side. We knew that unless Mr Ghulam Rasool (Lassa waza )of the Food and Supplies Department team or Mr Siraju-din from Baramulla football team were playing on the opposing side, a goal would invariably be made. We were privileged to see Mr. Noor Mohd Bisati, Mr. D. Dar of Wular Sports, Mr. Ghulam Qadir Kachroo, Mr. Habibullah Ganie, Mr. Wali Mohd. Anim, and Mr. Abdul Gani (Baramulla) running like gazelles in their games. After getting a short pass somewhere near the goalpost, the late Mr. Ghulam Hassan Dar would leap like salmon and with a single head shot flying past him, the goal keeper would stand watching the football gliding deep inside his goal. Similarly,after getting a pass near the corner of the field, the late Mr. Abdul Ghani Miskeen (poet and player) would arch his body miraculously and appear almost to float in air at an angle for a while before and kicking the ball impeccably deep into the goal.The game used to be played with the utmost discipline and professionalism. No sooner did the sharp eyes of the late Mr. Abdul Subhan Janwari, the football legend, catch sight of any misconduct during the game than his forceful blast on the whistle would almost cause the steps of the defaulter to freeze on the spot. The linesmen, Mr. Mahraj Kishan (Kakaji) on the one side, and Mr. Abdul Rashid Khan on the other, could often be seen to be running faster than the players themselves. At times they would be seen hopping like kangaroos, raising the flag immediately after a default, stopping the defaulter in his tracks.Their nonverbal communication would be something to behold. and often amazed us. If Mr. Abdul Khaliq Dar was performing his duties at the goal post, he would suddenly roll like a barrel and clasp the ball as if it was about to go down the drain off the field. These men had a huge passion for this game and there were lot of others, people like Mr. Abdul Subhan Janwari, Mr. Ghulam Nabi Khan, Mr Mohd. Amin Ganie - forgive me readers if I have left out any names - who would be behind the skill and beauty of these wonderful games, day in and day out. To my physician's eyes, games such as these are not only important for exercising muscles of the players in order that they remain fit, but they do help in distracting young people away from so many bad things in the world we live in today. I think especially of drug abuse, an ever growing menace all over the world. We must save our youth from drug abuse and encourage games all over the world. Alas things have changed since my early youth in the valley. I ask myself what has become of all this talent in the Valley. Where did it go? It seems that now my Valley is bleeding and drowning in its own tears. Who is it who has fixed it with an evil eye, and why, I sadly ask myself..........



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