Indian Football: 'A Leather Suitcase, A Watch and Nothing More' - A Sad Tale of How India Failed to Acknowledge the 1974 Asian Champions

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The 1974 Asian Youth Championship-winning captain Shabbir Ali opened up on the lack of recognition they received after winning the historical tournament in Bangkok.

AIFF celebrated the Golden Jubilee of India's 1974 Asian Youth Championship winning team in Kolkata on Tuesday (April 30). Many of the stars from that team were present at the event and were felicitated by the AIFF president Kalyan Chaubey.

It was a historical moment which was rightfully reminisced at a five-star hotel in the heart of Kolkata after five long decades. On this day (30th April), India's youth team won the 1974 Asian Championship jointly with Iran.

The Blue Tigers of that era stopped the mighty Iran, who beat every other Asian team in that period. Team India went on to manage a 2-2 draw in the Final and were announced joint winners with Iran.

Then captain Shabbir Ali and Latifuddin scored to give India a 2-1 lead in the Extra Time, but a late goal scored by Iran meant India had to settle with joint accolades.

Nevertheless, it was a monumental achievement for India, who were discarded prior to the tournament. None of the Asian football giants recognized their might but those teenagers created history in Bangkok.

But after that magnificent achievement, what did those young teenagers received from the Government or the Footballing body of India? Shabbir Ali, the captain of that team, was struggling to recollect any significant rewards. The recognition was meagre and the rewards were the same.

"I don't like to compare. There was no phone in my house a few years ago. After the Final, Kayalpattinam, a club in Tamil Nadu, provided us with the suits and a reception. Here in Kolkata, the AIFF president garlanded us and then Mohun Bagan invited us and gave us a leather suitcase. Also, we got a watch in Bangkok. Apart from that, we got nothing," Shabbir Ali said at the event.

"I heard that at that time, Iran felicitated their players with cash prize, a house and a car. But it was nothing for us. That is why I request some aid for some of the players who are not doing well. Some of my colleagues are not anymore, and their families will benefit," he added.

The veteran person also went on to thank the current AIFF chief Kalyan Chaubey for recognizing their achievement. All the other players present like C.C Jacob, Gobinda (Ranjit) Das, PM Kumar and others echoed the same notion. It was a novel approach from the AIFF to felicitate these legends of the game and they rightfully got a very little part of what they deserve.

Gobinda Das, whose real name is Ranjit, but was known as Gobinda in the football circuit at that time. He shared another piece of anecdote which depicted the ignorance of the footballing body at that time. Das said that no one was present at the airport to receive them and even the airport personnel didn't clear their winnings and football equipment during security.

"Even after coming to the Airport in India, no one was there [to felicitate or receive]. After the flight, we got caught in the checking and they stopped us. We had the whistles, tape - all football-related equipment. Even the prizes that we got in Bangkok were screened and we somehow managed to clear the security," Das said.

1974 to 2024 - five decades have passed and Indian football hasn't made a lot of significant strides forward. There has been a surge in recent times with the introduction of ISL and a better ecosystem, from the grassroots to the professional arena. With the current initiatives and administrative guidance, Indian Football will be hoping to rise again in coming years.