In 1950, India had earned qualification for the FIFA World Cup. Albeit the withdrawal of the erstwhile Burma, Indonesia and Philippines played a role in the qualification, such an achievement, viewed through the lens of today's reality, as the team languishes at the 121st spot in men's rankings, seems almost surreal. Yet, it was a reality 74 years ago.
Despite securing the spot, however, India made the unconventional decision to abstain from participation. This decision remains a perplexing enigma.
Fast forward 12 years to the 1962 Asian Games, the Indian football team had the opportunity of fighting for international eminence once again, but internal political turmoil was still looming large. Except, under the guidance of Syed Abdul Rahim, India's coach, history took a different turn, as shown in the recently released film 'Maidaan,' where Ajay Devgn portrays Rahim.
Before delving into the events of 1962, let's rewind to 1950 and delve into the circumstances preceding the World Cup.
How Did India Qualify for the 1950 World Cup?
After World War II disrupted the 1942 and 1946 editions of the World Cup, football's pinnacle event was resurrected in 1950, though beset by challenges. Europe, then ravaged by the war, struggled to find a host until Brazil stepped forward in the 1946 FIFA Congress.
While the British home nations agreed to join, Germany and Japan were absent. Only 34 nations entered the qualifiers for 16 spots, and ultimately, just 13 teams made it to Brazil, with Scotland and Turkey also pulling out. Amid withdrawals from other Asian teams, India secured a spot in the 1950 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.
But Why Didn't India Participate?
Now, despite qualification, India not participating in a FIFA World Cup prompts one loud question – Why?
In March 1950, during the annual general meeting of the All India Football Federation (AIFF), the topic of India's potential involvement in the 1950 FIFA World Cup in Brazil took center stage.
India had qualified for the 1950 FIFA World Cup in Brazil but the team did not participate.
Image: AIFF
Conducted in Delhi under the leadership of the then AIFF president Moin-ul-Haq, is it believed that the meeting primarily focused on the financial implications of competing, rather than the tournament's significance. Manindra Dutta Ray, the honorary general secretary, revealed to the assembly that the journey to Brazil would incur expenses around Rs 1 lakh, a sum beyond the federation's means. Consequently, it was decided that efforts would be initiated to secure the required funds. There are, however, conjectures about this claim, with some reports claiming Brazil had offered to bear much of the expenses as they wanted representation from the land of Mahatma Gandhi, revered as an universal icon of peace.
India ultimately opted out of the World Cup, and the AIFF's decision remained shrouded in ambiguity, with the official reason from the board for non-participation being "disagreements over team selection and insufficient practice time."
Another rationale cited was that, unlike now, the FIFA World Cup was not being regarded as a highly significant tournament, with AIFF choosing to put all of their eggs into the Olympics basket.
In the midst of these speculations, it becomes apparent that political considerations influenced India's decision-making process.
What Political Factors Were At Play?
In March 1949, the AIFF convened its annual general meeting in Calcutta to discuss the upcoming World Cup. During the meeting, it was revealed that the Philippines had withdrawn from the qualifiers, leaving only India and Burma in the group. The match against Burma was scheduled to be played on a home and away basis, with Kolkata (then Calcutta) chosen as the venue for India's home match on 17 September 1949.
The meeting also debated the prospect of India embracing professional football. While some members advocated for this change, citing potential development benefits, albeit the officials in the governing body were unsure if participating in the World Cup, where European and South American nations fielded professionals, would jeopardise India's amateur status.
The outcome of the meeting revealed a lack of consensus within the AIFF. While some members were hesitant about India's participation in the World Cup, others were eager for the team to compete. Despite this, it was decided that India would play the qualifier against Burma, and in April 1949, a team would be sent to Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) for a preparatory tour.
What Did The Press Release Say?
As it turned out, Burma also opted to withdraw from the qualifiers. On August 28 1949, AIFF honorary secretary Pankaj Gupta informed the media of Burma's decision not to pursue the World Cup dream.
In May 1949, Moin-ul-Haq's arrival in Calcutta was anticipated as the final step in confirming India's participation in the upcoming events. However, to the surprise of many, the AIFF seemed to backtrack on its decision. The exact reasons behind this sudden change remained unclear, till the federation issued a rather bizarre press release.
The release stated, "India will not participate in the World Cup or the Jules Rimet Cup. Due to late information reaching India, the team will have to be flown to Rio resulting in cancellation of team selection. Since there is not much time, the Indian team will not be able to prepare and hence it will not be correct to send the team."
Politics At Play Again in 1962, But Syed Rahim Stood Tall
Syed Abdul Rahim became India's coach in 1952. Within four years, he built a strong team with players from all over India. They competed in the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne but didn't win. However, their fourth-place finish earned them respect.
Rahim kept improving the team by adding new players. In the 1960 Olympics, India played against France, and even managed to get a draw.
In a meeting later on, Rahim faced criticism from both officials and a section of journalists, who were not particularly pleased with Rahim's scouting and coaching methods. Devgn's 'Maidaan' uses fictional characters to portray the general dislike towards the coach. Eventually, he was fired, and later diagnosed with cancer.
It was only after his wife Saira, reminded him of his dream to see India win a gold medal that Rahim requested the federation to reinstate him as the coach.
India's Greatest Football Triumph
Under Rahim's guidance, the Indian team was preparing for the 1962 Asian Games in Jakarta when they encountered an expected setback, as the government had withdrawn funding, halting their participation. Rahim sought a meeting with Morarji Desai, the then finance minister, and was successful in his bid to convince Desai of allocating the necessary fund. Had it not been the case, a repeat of the 1950 FIFA World Cup was on the cards.
Meanwhile, there was tumult beyond football as well. India took a stand against Indonesia's refusal to allow Taiwanese and Israeli athletes to participate, leading to Indonesia's expulsion from the IOC. On September 3, 1962, an enraged mob besieged the Indian embassy in Jakarta, forcing most of the Indian delegation to evacuate the country. The following day, the mob attacked the Indian football team's bus as they headed to the stadium. The situation grew so dire that military intervention became necessary to ensure the players' safety.
India won the gold medal at the 1962 Asian Games under coach Syed Abdul Rahim.
Image: X
Shortly before the match, Peter Thangaraj, the Indian team's goalkeeper, sustained a foot injury, sidelining him from play. Despite this setback, India faced South Korea in their initial match and endured a loss. Nevertheless, they persisted through obstacles and progressed to the finals, where they encountered South Korea once more. India went on to clinch the gold medal at the 1962 Asian Games, marking their greatest triumph in football history to date.
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