By Victor Amalraj
On Sunday, I took a walk down memory lane with my friend, former team-mate and India international Mohammed Akbar, who has also played for top three Kolkata clubs Mohun Bagan, East Bengal and Mohammedan Sporting.
We met for lunch at Paradise Hotel in Secunderabad and chatted about our good old days. Akbar bhai talked about the days when he used to bicycle all the way from his home near Goshamahal Stadium to the Gymkhana Ground for practice.
Back then the roads were less congested and the city was less polluted.
Secunderabad has changed a lot. The Plaza Theatre and Percy’s Hotel right in front of the Gymkhana ground have long been demolished. Our favourite meeting point — Paradise Cafe — has become big and is renamed as Paradise Hotel. Famous for its authentic biryani, the restaurant used to be a single storey cafe during our time.
We talked about our common friends and fellow players. Akbarbhai reminded me of the 1976 season in Kolkata when he was with the Mohun Bagan and were going through a difficult phase.
After several defeats and draws, Mohun Bagan were up against their traditional rivals, East Bengal. The team was in shambles following string of unimpressive performances and results.
But Akbarbhai regained his lost touch against East Bengal and blasted home an early goal in that memorable derby. That victory injected confidence into the team that helped Mohun Bagan bounce back.
When I was the Mohammedan Sporting captain at the 1980 Federation Cup, Akbarbhai did a similar thing.
He resurrected his career that was threatened due to a leg injury and re-established himself once again as India’s top scorer. I’ve seen him scoring some thundering and breathtaking goals including those pile-drivers. He fully deserved to be called the Akbar Badshah of Eden Gardens. I wish him good health and the best of luck in his life.
(Victor Amalraj is a former India captain who played and captained Mohammedan Sporting, Mohun Bagan and East Bengal. He currently resides in Secunderabad/Telangana)
