Shimla-the birthplace of the Durand Cup and the Indian Air Force ...

football, as a sports teacher with St. Mary’s school in Delhi and
trained local clubs and occasionally the Delhi state team.
Three of them, speedy Bhupinder Singh Rawat, hard working
Ranjit Thapa who shifted to midfield in the 4-2-4 formation
and elegant left winger Amar Bahadur became regular
internationals. Tika Ram played for India in the 1969 Merdeka
tournament. Ranjit and Amar Bahadur were members of
the Indian team which finished third in the 1970 Merdeka
tournament. Amar Bahadur also scored the winning goal
against Japan which enabled India win the bronze medal in
the 1970 Games at Bangkok. This was the last great year for the
senior national team, the last occasion when it won medals at
the Asiad level.
In the 1966 Durand tournament, the final was quite
unforgettable, as the Sikh Regiment could not match with
the speed and thrust of the Gorkha Brigade. The match to
remember was the semi final against Mohun Bagan. For
three successive years (1963-65), Bagan inspired by greats
like Chuni Goswami, Jarnail Singh, Kempiah, Dipu Das and
Arumainayagam, had won the Durand Cup. They were first
Indian team to achieve a hat-trick of wins. With East Bengal
upset by EME Secundrabad (snap left footed top of the box
volley by inside left Jayaraman) and Mohammedan’s trounced
by the Gorkha Brigade, in the quarter finals, it was left to
Bagan to maintain Calcutta’s pride.
The match played on a cold, sunday afternoon in January
1967, aroused tremendous interest and excitement amongst
local football fans. The query on everybody’s lips was, “would
the experienced Jarnail Singh, C. Prasad, P. Kannan and Nitu
Ghosh be able to thwart the rampaging Gorkhas?” Around the
Ambedkar stadium (then known as the Delhi Gate stadium)
there were serpentine queues, as eager spectators clamoured
to get tickets for this historic match. Touts did roaring business.
The Re. 1 tickets of the third enclosure were sold in the black
for Rs. 20 or Rs. 25, a princely sum in those days. The match
was well contested. Initially Bagan controlled proceedings.
22 July 2011 purple beret
Coach Shyam Thapa
The dribbling skills of Kannan, Arumainayagam and Ashok
Chatterjee enabled them retain possession and slow down the
pace of the game. Mighty Jarnail Singh, C. Prasad and Sushil
Sinha managed to blunt the Gorkha attack.
Just before half time, Gorkhas changed their approach play
and used one touch football to level attacks. Bhupinder Rawat
broke the ice with a dream goal. Running in from the blind side
bravely flung himself in front of lunging Jarnail and scored
with a diving header at the near post a right flank cross. The
crowd went ecstatic.
Midway through the second half, Gorkhas sealed victory when
tenacious midfielder Nar Singh scored with a snap shot, a
rising left footer which somehow deceived the usually reliable
Prodyut Burman in the Bagan goal. Bagan exerted pressure
in the end, but the Gorkha defenders averted danger with
their first time clearances to record a memorable win and end
Bagan’s unbeaten six year streak in the Durand tournament.
Prior to this defeat, Bagan had lost in the Durand way back
in December 1961. On that occasion they were beaten 0-1 by
Andhra Pradesh Police in the final, with inside left Zulfiqar
scoring the match-winner. In 1962, the Durand was not held
due to the India-China war and Bagan were champions from
1963-65.
This article was earlier published in 1996
P.K Banerjee (right) with Shyam Thapa