Indian football legend Mohammed Habib passes away
New Delhi, Aug 15: Mohammed Habib, the playmaker par excellence of the 1970s who scored against Pele's New York Cosmos in Mohun Bagan colours and made the football icon take note of his game, died on Tuesday.
The former India player was 74.
Habib, who was suffering from dementia and Parkinson's syndrome for the past couple of years, breathed his last in Hyderabad, his birthplace.
Habib is survived by his wife and three daughters.
A bronze medallist in the 1970 Asian Games in Bangkok under the captaincy of fellow Hyderabadi Syed Nayeemuddin and manager PK Banerjee, Habib has represented the big three of Kolkata Maidan -- Mohun Bagan, East Bengal and Mohammedan Sporting in his heydays, dominating the Mecca of Indian football for a prolonged period in the late 1960s through to the 70s.
Born on July 17, 1949, the former India captain represented the country in 35 international matches, and scored 11 goals in the process, after making his debut against Thailand in the Merdeka Cup at Kuala Lumpur in 1967.
Following a successful career that saw him gain legendary status and earn the tag of the country's first "true professional" footballer for his refusal to accept numerous job offers that came his way owing to his on-field heroics, Habib took to coaching at the Tata Football Academy (TFA).
Later, he also acted as chief coach of the Indian Football Association academy in Haldia.
At a time when the clubs would pay meagre sum to their best players, he was unruffled and remained a professional in true sense throughout his career, for he considered playing football as his real and only profession.
One of the highlights of Habib's career was when he played for Mohun Bagan against the visiting Cosmos Club which also featured the legendary Pele in 1977 in a friendly on a rain-soaked Eden Gardens.
Up against a visiting team that had a star-studded line up with big names like Pele, Carlos Alberto, Georgio Chinaglia and others in its ranks, Mohun Bagan held their own in a creditable 2-2 draw with midfield mainstay Habib being one of the scorers.
In one of his biggest acknowledgments, Habib was singled out by Pele after the match as one of the world's greatest player praised his game.
Habib etched his name in the folklore of Indian football in 1970, when he played an integral part in the Blue Tigers' bronze medal-winning run in the Asian Games.
He followed that up by helping India become the joint winners of the Pesta Sukan Cup with South Vietnam in 1971. Habib played international football till 1975, and was conferred the Arjuna Award for his contribution to the game.
Expressing his condolences, All India Football Federation (AIFF) president Kalyan Chaubey said, "The 'Bade Miya' of Kolkata football was my coach and mentor in TFA and Mohun Bagan. His contribution to India's bronze medal-winning team in the 1970 Asian Games will be remembered forever. May his soul rest in peace."
AIFF secretary general Shaji Prabhakaran said, "Mohammed Habib was one of the finest footballers of his time, and remained dedicated to the game throughout his life. I am deeply saddened by his passing away."
On the domestic front, Habib switched over from Hyderabad to Kolkata in 1966 when he joined East Bengal. For the next 18 seasons, he played for all the three top Kolkata clubs with distinction and soon grew into a legend of Indian football.
His grit, determination and never-say-die attitude on the field inspired his contemporaries as well as generations of footballers.
Always considered a big-match footballer, Habib always shone when it was needed most. He had the rare distinction of scoring the winning goals in three Durand Cup finals in the span of seven seasons for East Bengal.
Habib was one of the few players to win the Triple Crown (IFA Shield, Durand Cup and Rovers Cup) in the same season for both East Bengal and Mohun Bagan in 1972 and 1977, respectively.
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Delhi Polls: BJP faces protest, placates MLA amid resentment over ticket distribution
New Delhi, Jan 12: Resentment surfaced in the BJP on Sunday over ticket distribution for Delhi Assembly polls, with a protest held outside its Delhi unit office and an angry outburst by the outgoing MLA from Karawal Nagar who was not included in the candidate list released a day earlier.
As MLA Mohan Singh Bisht threatened to revolt after being denied a ticket from Karawal Nagar, the party rushed to control the damage and announced his candidature from the Mustafabad seat this evening.
A group of protesters from Tughlakabad in South Delhi held a dharna at the gate of the Delhi BJP office, demanding a change in the candidate from the constituency.
"Vikram Bidhuri Tum Sangharsh Karo; Modi Se Bair Nahi, Rohtas Teri Khair Nahi," the protesters, including mostly youngsters, chanted as the party leaders tried to pacify them.
In the second list of BJP candidates for the polls declared on Saturday, Rohtas Bidhuri was fielded from the Tughlakabad seat. In 2020 Assembly polls, Vikram Bidhuri who is a relative of senior party leader Ramesh Bidhuri, lost to AAP's Sahiram by over 13,000 votes.
A similar protest was also held by some party workers outside the Delhi BJP office against Mehrauli candidate Gajainder Yadav after the announcement of the first list of candidates earlier this month.
Bisht, the senior-most BJP MLA in the outgoing Assembly elected five times from Karawal Nagar, openly expressed unhappiness over being denied the ticket to contest from his stronghold.
A senior party leader said he was pacified after a meeting with BJP chief JP Nadda.
Bisht, after getting the ticket from Mustafabad, expressed confidence that he would win the seat for the BJP.
"I met the national president and things were ironed out. I have assured that I will contest from Mustafabad and win the seat for the party," Bisht told PTI.
The MLA said he and the BJP had considerable support in Mustafabad and he has already attended two public meetings there.
The BJP won the Mustafabad seat, having a significant minority community presence, in the 2015 Assembly polls but lost it to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in 2020.
Earlier in the day, Bisht told PTI that the party's decision to replace him with Kapil Mishra was "wrong" and its consequences will be visible after voting on February 5.
"You have challenged the 'samaj' (his Uttarakhandi community), not Mohan Singh Bisht. The BJP will lose at least 8-10 seats because of this decision, including Karawal Nagar, Burari, Mustafabad and Gokalpuri," Bisht warned.
The BJP fielded Kapil Mishra, a Hindutva hardliner, from Karwal Nagar in North East Delhi, which was rocked by massive communal violence just after the 2020 Assembly polls.
Sources in the party claimed that there was also "deep resentment" among the Delhi BJP's Scheduled Castes Morcha leaders over being denied tickets from different constituencies including Madipur and Kondli.
A top Delhi BJP functionary stressed that there are many ticket aspirants, so it is natural for those who did not get selected to feel disappointed.
"The BJP is a disciplined party and its leaders understand this. Sooner or later, everyone will realise this and work for the victory of the party giving up their resentment," he said.
The elections to 70 Assembly seats in Delhi are scheduled on February 5. Results will be out after the counting of votes on February 8.
The BJP, out of power in Delhi since 1998, is making all-out efforts to return to power. In the 2015 and 2020 Assembly polls, the party was completely routed by the AAP, scraping through with just three and eight seats, respectively.
