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Fifty six years ago, on this day (December 1) India achieved a memorable win in Olympic football. They
destroyed the hosts Australia 4-2 to enter the Olympic semi finals and became the first Asian nation to
reach the last four. Centre forward Neville DSouza scored a hat-trick (the first Asian to achieve this feat in
the Olympics).
The Indian playing eleven in the 3-5-2 formation on that historic day at Melbourne was as follows:
Goalkeeper: Peter Thangaraj (Hyderabad/Services)
Defenders: S.K. Azizuddin (Hyderabad), S.A. Salaam (Hyderabad), SA Latif (Hyderabad).
Midfielders: Kempiah (Bengal), Noor Mohammed (Hyderabad).
Forwards: P.K. Banerjee (Bihar/Railways), Samar Badru Banerjee (Bengal), Neville DSouza (Bombay),
J. Kittu (Bengal) and Kannayan (Bengal).
Except for P.K. Banerjee (originally from Bihar), skipper Samar Banerjee and Neville DSouza, the remaining
eight players were from either Hyderabad or Bangalore. The indefatigable midfielder Kempiah, the dashing
winger Kannayan (arguably the fastest winger ever produced by India) and the crafty Kittu had all started
their football careers in Bangalore but shifted to Calcutta. Of the eleven that played in Melbourne that day,
only Salaam, P.K. Banerjee and Samar Banerjee are still alive. The baby of the team, 19 year-old Tulsidas
Balaram was supposed to start on the left flank.
Even on the eve of the match, it was confirmed he would start with vice-captain Kittu on the left flank. But on
the morning of December 1, Rahim felt that it would be risky to expose an untried youngster in such a
crucial Olympic match and so opted for the experience of Kannayan. In the semi finals, Balaram replaced
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Kannayan and from then onwards became irreplaceable. Till he retired in 1963, due to illness, Balaram was
always in the playing eleven for India and a first choice selection.
The 17 member Indian squad, which finished fourth in the Melbourne Olympics, had eight players who
learnt their football in Hyderabad: goalkeeper Peter Thangaraj, defenders Aziz, M.A. Salam, Ahmed Hussain
and Latif, left half Noor Mohammed, and forwards Zulfiqar and Tulsidas Balaram. This was not surprising as
in 1956, Hyderabad had won the National championships for the Santosh trophy trouncing Bombay 4-0 in
the final at Trivandrum. Hyderabad was so dominant in the replayed final that they scored four goals in the
opening quarter of the match and at the behest of the organisers did not further humiliate their opponents.
From runners up Bombay, the duo chosen were goalkeeper S.S. Narayan and centre forward Neville
DSouza. Narayan played in the semi finals and bronze medal match (from the semi finals onwards, football
matches were played on the historic lush green Melbourne Cricket Ground) as Thangaraj picked up a
severe ankle injury in the victory against Australia.
DSouza who played for Caltex, Mumbai became the first player to score a hat-trick in his maiden
appearance in Olympic football. The fourth goal was scored by Vice-captain J. Kittu in the 80 minute. The
diminutive Kittu, who played his club football for East Bengal, scored after a 25 yard solo dash and a curling
shot from the edge of the box.
On a hard and dry ground and against robust opponents, DSouza, noted for instinctive ability to drift into
scoring positions opened the scoring in the 9 minute with a firm header. Skipper Samar Banerjee took a
stiff shot that rebounded off the bar and following up DSouza headed in. Australia equalized eight minutes
later when Morrow headed in a free kick. In the 33 minute India scored again. P.K. Banerjee sped down
the right and whipped in a low cross, which an onrushing DSouza tapped in. Morrow again equalised for
Australia three minutes later. But the second half belonged to India. Accelerating down the left, Kannayan
cut in and was foiled by goalkeeper Lord. But an onrushing DSouza, following up, bundled the ball into the
net to complete his hat-trick.
Neville DSouza was very motivated for the match due to an off the field incident. Before the Olympics
started, he was travelling by the local bus, on a sight-seeing trip in Melbourne. When some bus passengers
learnt that he had come from India to participate in the Olympics, they thought he was a hockey player.
They were astonished when he told them that he was a football player, as they believed that India did not
play this game. They also laughed when he said that India could beat Australia in football. Ultimately
DSouza had the last laugh on the Aussies.
The versatile DSouza had an uncanny game sense and was always in the right position at the right time.
With his deceptive speed, sudden acceleration and close dribbling DSouza, resembled a Brazilian forward
with his superb control. During his student days in St. Xaviers, Bombay he played both football and
hockey. But later he opted for football and joined Tatas for a few years before switching to Caltex in the
mid-fifties.
Casual in his approach to fitness, DSouzas international career lasted only for a few years. But many
experts consider him as Indias finest goal poacher. In the 4 Quadrangular football tournament in Dacca,
Neville DSouza helped India overcome a tenacious Pakistan 2-1 with a delectable winning goal.
Indias performance in the 1956 Melbourne Olympics should be evaluated within the perspective of Asian
football during that era. The other two Asian countries made no impression in these Olympics. Japan lost in
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In 2009, six members of that legendary team were felicitated by
the government for their achievement so many years ago.
the first round 0-2 to Australia. Thailand was routed 1-9 by Great Britain. Compared to other Asian nations,
India performed creditably and coach Rahim fielded the team in an embryonic 4-2-4 formation with Samar
Banerjee and later Nikhil Nandy playing as withdrawn forwards. Renowned soccer critics and officials like
Dr. Willy Meisel and Sir Stanley Rous appreciated Indias performance and said the display was a
revelation. They congratulated coach S. A Rahim for making India play modern football. The Duke of
Edinburgh also witnessed this match and the subsequent 1-4 loss to Yugoslavia in the semi finals. He also
conveyed his message of appreciation on the grand performance of the Indian players.
Ironically the Indian football almost did not make it for the Olympics due to several controversies in the
country. The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) initially refused to sponsor Indias entry for the Olympics. It
was a typical personality clash. Several IOA big wigs did not like Mr. Pankaj Gupta, who was then the All
India Football Federation (AIFF) President and who was initially selected as the Chef-de Mission of the
Indian contingent for the Melbourne Olympics. Under pressure the IOA was forced to send Indias entry but
refused to pay the national football teams expenses for the Olympics.
Instead the IOA demanded a deposit of
Rs. 33,000 from the AIFF by a certain
date otherwise the entry would be
cancelled. Mr. K. Ziauddin, secretary of
the Western India Football Association
used his contacts in Bombay, including
football loving actors like Dilip Kumar, to
collect the sum of Rs. 33,000 and
deposited it at the IOA office. The AIFF
was also forced to make its own
transport arrangements for the airlift to
Melbourne. The AIFF President Mr.
Pankaj Gupta arranged credit facilities
from Messrs Mercury Travels by
hypothecating his house in Calcutta. The Indian team left Bombay by air on November 18 and played some
practise games in Melbourne before their opening match on December 1.
The selection of the captain Samar Badru Banerjee also caused a controversy. The nimble footed Samar
Banerjee was from Mohun Bagan. Due to their 1911 IFA Shield win over East Yorkshire Regiment, Mohun
Bagan had a nationalist appeal among the common people so it was customary that in the early post-
Independence years, the captain of India was from this historic club. Thus in both the 1948 Olympics and
the 1952 Helsinki Olympics, the captain of the Indian team was from Mohun Bagan namely T. Aao
and Sailen Manna. There was no controversy on their appointment, as they were established internationals.
However the nimble footed Samar Banerjee was a newcomer to the side, which included seasoned
internationals, defender Azizuddin and left half back Noor Mohammed who had both played in the 1952
Helsinki Olympics. Due to Mohun Bagans pressure and certain communal feelings within the AIFF,
Azizuddin was denied the captaincy. Some disgruntled AIFF officials commented that with K. Ziauddin as
manager and S.A Rahim as coach if Azizuddin was chosen as captain, it would resemble a team from
Pakistan instead of India. Thus Samar Banerjee became a compromise captain for the 1956 Melbourne
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Olympics. Aziz declined the offer of vice-captaincy which was then given to J. Kittu. Samar Banerjee played
only one match in the Olympics and then was unable to participate due to severe cramps.
Another controversy was the inclusion of the precocious teenager Zulfiqar ( a couple of months older than
Balaram) in the Olympic squad. He was the 17 member and due to financial constraints the AIFF wanted
him to be dropped. Rahim was adamant that Zulfiqar, renowned for his powerful shots and crisp volleys,
should travel to Melbourne. Rahim made the ultimate sacrifice and offered to drop out from the squad to
accommodate Zulfikar. He said that the captain, manager and senior players knew his tactics and they
could choose the playing eleven at the Melbourne Olympics. Pankaj Gupta was aghast at such a
suggestion and agreed to let Zulfiqar travel to the Olympics. It would have been a travesty to drop Zulfiqar
that year as he was in sparkling form. He had excelled in the training camps held that year, two in Calcutta
and the final one in Bombay. Also in the final trial match between Hyderabad and Bengal, which the former
won 3-0, Zulfiqar had excelled
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