50 years after Yuva Asia emerged as the top team in 74, Federation honors the winning squad
President of the All India Football Federation Kalyan Chaube awarded the 1974 AFC Youth Champion squad. It marks the 50th anniversary that this project has been launched.
It’s been fifty years since Indian football saw its heyday. 1974 saw the Indian squad win the AFC Youth Championship. Kalyan Choubey, the president of the All India Football Federation, greeted the players on that squad. At the footballers’ 50th anniversary celebration in Kolkata, Kalyan praised them.
In the 1974 tournament final staged in Thailand, India and Iran drew 2-2. They thus joined Iran as joint champions.
In addition to Kalyan, those in attendance included Secretary Anirban Dutta, Chairperson Subrata Dutta, and IFA President Ajit Banerjee. Seven football players from that team received mementos from them. They include SP Kumar, CC Jacob, Dilip Palit, Ranjit Das, Shishir Guha Dastidar, and Shabbir Ali, who was the squad captain in 1974. That team’s coach, Arun Ghosh, is admitted to the hospital owing to illness. Thus, his son-in-law arrived and picked up the monument.
During the event, Kalyan stated that he became a football player because of the influence of football players from the 1970s. “I heard as a child that the seventies were the golden era of Indian football,” the president of the federation stated. This is a significant occasion for me. I was informed by Shabirda that the tournament is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. Then came to mind this reception. I hope the former Indian football players will serve as an inspiration to the present crop.
Shabbir, who captained the winning squad in 1974, can still clearly recall that match. “We are grateful to the Federation for having us back after fifty years,” he remarked. In that competition, being champions was our main objective. A month before to departing for Thailand, we began the program. Everything about the preparation went smoothly. I received the outcome. I hope that the younger football players would take some advice from us veterans.”
Regarding Indian football’s future, Kalyan is upbeat. “We are moving slowly,” declared the head of the All India Football Association. FIFA and I communicate on a daily basis. They are pleased with Indian football’s development. The Academy is an AIFF and FIFA joint venture located in Bhubaneswar. Coaches like Arsene Wenger exist. World Cup for Under-17 hosted in India. Additionally, there was a Women’s Youth World Cup. This indicates that, gradually, the globe is opening up to Indian football.”
The head of the federation declared that India will compete in the World Cup eventually and that they have begun preparations for this. “We have to change the present while keeping an eye on the future,” Kalyan declared. We must also take note of the lessons that the past has taught us. We prioritize competitiveness depending on age. Women’s football is being examined in addition to men’s football.
In India, competitions are many. Ongoing are the Durand Cup, Super Cup, ISL, and I League-1, 2, and 3. seeking to revive historical rivalry in the vein of Bardolyi. Hopefully, in the future, our dream will be realized.
