In 1937, Eilington Corinthian, a famous British football team (comprised of both seasoned professionals and amateurs) came to India to play in a number of matches throughout the sub-continent. They played against British army teams and Indian club and state sides. The Corinthians won virtually all their matches and drew a couple. However, very few people know today, that this powerful team had to eat the humble pie in Dhaka, then a sleepy mufassil town of Bengal, The Dhaka XI, compromised solely of young amateurs dominated the game and won by a solitary goal. Their striker Pakhi Sen, a forgotten name today, scored the lone goal of the match. The British team, being imbued with great sportsmanship thoroughly praised the Dhaka team. Dhakaiites have an all consuming passion about sports–especially football and cricket. The latter is perhaps the most popular at present with Bangladesh getting the official Test status a decade back. Interestingly the first ever Test match that Pakistan played was held in Dhaka, way back in 1954.Dhaka and its sporting history
It was with
The establishment of Dhaka Mohammedan Sporting Club�believed to be a branch of the famous Calcutta (now Kolkata) Mohammedan Sporting Club�in 1933 that Dhaka soccer got a big impetus
Syed Mehdi Momin
In 1937, Eilington Corinthian, a famous British football team (comprised of both seasoned professionals and amateurs) came to India to play in a number of matches throughout the sub-continent. They played against British army teams and Indian club and state sides. The Corinthians won virtually all their matches and drew a couple. However, very few people know today, that this powerful team had to eat the humble pie in Dhaka, then a sleepy mufassil town of Bengal, The Dhaka XI, compromised solely of young amateurs dominated the game and won by a solitary goal. Their striker Pakhi Sen, a forgotten name today, scored the lone goal of the match. The British team, being imbued with great sportsmanship thoroughly praised the Dhaka team. Dhakaiites have an all consuming passion about sportsespecially football and cricket. The latter is perhaps the most popular at present with Bangladesh getting the official Test status a decade back. Interestingly the first ever Test match that Pakistan played was held in Dhaka, way back in 1954.
The first cricket big match held in the Bangabandhu National Stadium (then called Dacca Ground) was held between Bengal Governors XI versus Bengal Gymkhana in 1941. After India in 1954 New Zealand played against Pakistan in 1956 in Dhaka.
Cricket may be the most popular sport these days but up until the 1990s no sport was comparable in pulling in the crowds as football. Club football was held regularly in the 1920s with teams from Wari, Hazaribagh and Rahmatganj area being most successful. Many players from Dhaka made a name for themselves in Kolkata with their skills. Some gentlemen from DhakaSuresh Chowdhury among themwho later settled in Kolkata established the famous East Bengal club who are still among the best soccer clubs in India.
However it was with the establishment of Dhaka Mohammedan Sporting Clubbelieved to be a branch of the famous Calcutta (now Kolkata) Mohammedan Sporting Clubin 1933 that Dhaka soccer got a big impetus. They played against both local sides and also the British army teams. The club became extremely popular with the Dhaka crowd. After the partition of the sub-continent Mohammedan got two popular rivals in Victoria Sporting Club and the Wanderers Club. And there was also the tremendously popular old Dhaka outfit. But still Mohammedan rule the roost winning many titles.
Aga Khan Gold Cup, one of the most prestigious football tournaments in Asia, was inaugurated in Dhaka in 1958 coinciding with the visit here of Prince Karim Aga Khan of Iran. Many important clubs took part in the tournament which was discontinued in 1981. Dhaka Mohammedan won the tournamentthe only team from East Pakistan and Bangladesh on three separate occasions.
After the Liberation Abahani Krira Chakra was established by Sheikh Kamal, eldest son of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. This club brought the concept of total football in Bangladesh and became the biggest rival of Mohammedan. Time was when in Dhaka any match between Mohammedan and Abahani would have meant virtual holiday. The rather ordinary quality of football mattered little; the interest generated was nothing less than the intensity of an El Classico or a Mersy-side derby.
Not only local football the Dhaka football lovers are quite knowledgeable and excitable as well, about the international circuit. Especially during the World Cup the city gets divided between supporters of the two South American giants Argentina Brazil. The city is full of flags of the countries during the duration of the tournament.
Hockey was also very popular sport with the Dhakaiites. A number of Nawab family members were extremely fond of the sport and played themselves. Armanitola School also produced and continues to produce excellent hockey players. Dhaka hockey XI earned a great name for itself after putting up a gallant fight against the Olympic Gold winning Pakistan national team in 1969, though losing by a goal in the end.
By the way some Nawab family members were great chess enthusiasts. At the Ahsan Manzil Museum the visitors can see the personal chess board of Nawab Sir Salimullah.
The park currently known as the Surawardi Uddyan was once the hub of horse racing aficionados. The Ramna Race Course, as it was called then was attracted huge crowds for the races. The race course was established in 1825 by Mr. Dowes who was the collector of Dhaka. A great deal of money changed hands as betting was legal. Ayub Ali Sarder, an influential personality of the 19th century had perhaps the most number of horses engaged racing, which not only brought him also different medal from the English horse race lovers during the British colonial era. The Nawabs too had a huge stable at Katabon. .
Wrestling or kusti or mollojuddho was another very popular sport of the Dhakaiites. Incidentally this wrestling had little in common with the WWE professional wrestling that we now see on television. This wrestling was the traditional Indian mud wrestling. There used to be dozens of Akhras or wrestling gymnasiums in Dhaka. Interestingly these akhras were segregated on religious lines. The Muslim wrestlers and traneirs were called Paloans and Ustads respectively. On the other had their Hindu counterparts were known as kustigirs and Gurus. Mirza Manna is a semi-mythical figure known for his incredible wrestling skills and tremendous physical strength. Legend has it once he wrestled and killed a full sized alligator with just a knife.The Mirza Manna Deuri still bears his name.
Lathi khela (stick fighting) is perhaps the only Bengali martial art. Especially during the Muharram and big pujas lathials demonstrate their prowess and mettle. The sticks used for this game are four and a half to five feet long, and are often smeared with oil. Players manoeuvre their respective sticks around their body with stunning agility. This sport along with bodybuilding, martial art, knife fighting etc. was very popular during the swadeshi movement during the early decades of the previous century. Numerous clubs sprung up all over Dhaka and imbued with nationalistic spirit youths, including women, became very enthusiastic about these sports. Marble and Carom have been extremely popular games with the youths of the old town literally for centuries.
The writer is Assistant Editor of The Independent and can be contacted at: [email protected]
