Amir Jang Ghaznavi
![]() Post-retirement portrait of Ghaznavi | |||
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Abu Anwar Mohammed Amir Jang Ghaznavi | ||
Date of birth | (1933-06-17)17 June 1933 | ||
Place of birth | Bhola, Bengal (present-day Bangladesh) | ||
Date of death | 22 August 1995(1995-08-22) (aged 62)[1] | ||
Place of death | Los Angeles, United States | ||
Position(s) | Full-back | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
1952–1954 | Wari Club | ||
1954–1956 | Dhaka Wanderers | ||
1956–1963 | Dhaka Mohammedan | ||
1956 | George Telegraph | ||
1957 | Kolkata Mohammedan | ||
International career | |||
1955–1959 | East Pakistan | ||
1958 | Pakistan | ||
*Club domestic league appearances and goals |
Amir Jang Ghaznavi (Bengali: আমীর জাং গজনবী; 1933 June 17 – 22 August 1995) was a former Bangladeshi footballer and sports organizer.
Early life
Amir Jang Ghaznavi was born on 17 June 1933, in Daulatkhan Thana of Bhola District, Bengal.[1]
Club career
Early career
Ghaznavi enrolled in the junior commission of the East Pakistan Army while studying in ninth grade at Daulatkhandi High School. In 1949, he represented the Army team in the Ronald Shield in Dhaka. In 1952, he joined Wari Club in the Dhaka League, where he remained for the next two seasons. In 1954, Ghaznavi joined East Pakistan's strongest club, Dhaka Wanderers Club, and won the league title for consecutive years, while in 1955, he represented the club in the IFA Shield held in Calcutta, India.[2] In 1956, he played six games for George Telegraph SC as a guest player in the latter stages of the Calcutta League, helping the club escape relegation. Prior to that, a fallout with Dhaka Wanderers officials saw many top players depart the club alongside him.[3]
Dhaka Mohammedan
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/ca/Mohammedan_SC_%28Dhaka%29_in_1956.png/220px-Mohammedan_SC_%28Dhaka%29_in_1956.png)
In 1956, Ghaznavi along with numerous teammates from Dhaka Wanderers, including Fazlur Ragman Arzoo, Ashraf Chowdhury and Kabir Ahmed joined mid-table team Dhaka Mohammedan. In his second season at the club, in 1957, Mohammedan won its first Dhaka League title. In the same year, Ghaznavi again participated in the Calcutta League, this time representing Kolkata Mohammedan.[1]
In 1959, Ghaznavi played a pivotal role as Dhaka Mohammedan won the treble, remaining unbeaten champions in the Dhaka League, Ronald Shield and the Aga Khan Gold Cup. However, in 1960, during an Aga Khan Gold Cup match against Karachi Mughals Club, Ghaznavi was involved in a brawl after being subjected to rough challenges. This led to the abandonment of the game and the suspension of seven players from both teams by the East Pakistan Sports Association. Ghaznavi played fewer games thereafter before retiring in 1963.[1]
International career
Ghaznavi first represented East Pakistan during the 1955 National Football Championship held in Bahawalpur.[3]
In 1957, he was part of the runners-up East Pakistan White team that lost the National Championship final, held on home soil in Dacca, 2–1 to Punjab. The team, captained by Chinghla Mong Chowdhury Mari, was heavily applauded, although the region would win its first National Championship in 1960, which Ghaznavi missed due to suspension. Ghaznavi's final appearance for the team came during the 1959 edition in Hyderabad, during which the team once again finished as runners-up.[4]
In 1958, Ghaznavi, although not selected in the initial squad for the 1958 Tokyo Asian Games, was contacted through a telegram and flown to Tokyo on a private plane to join the Pakistan national team.[1] The team consisted a record six Bengali players including captain Nabi Chowdhury.[5][6] Pakistan tied the first game 1–1 with South Vietnam and lost its final game 1–3 to the Republic of China.[7]
Organizing career
In the early 60s, during which Victoria Sporting Club dominated Dhaka football, Ghaznavi took on the role of coach, team manager and organizer of Dhaka Mohammedan upon the request of the club's president at the time, Moinul Islam.[1]
As the club's organizer, Ghaznavi brought in players from West Pakistan, notably central defender Turab Ali from Karachi Port Trust and Pakistan's national captain, Qayyum Changezi. He also had an eye for local talents. Assisted by former teammate Kabir Ahmed, Ghaznavi brought in a 16-year-old, Balai Dey from Khulna in 1962, and Victoria's winger Bashir Ahmed, helping the club clinch the title in 1963.[8] The Black and Whites continued their dominance in the league, becoming champions in 1965, 1966, and 1969.[1][9] In 1966, he acted as the team manager during Mohammedan's Mohammad Ali Bogra Shield triumph.[3]
In the late 60s, he brought in Bengali forward Golam Sarwar Tipu and Hafizuddin Ahmed to Mohammedan. Both players helped the club win the 1968 Aga Khan Gold Cup and the 1969 league title as unbeaten champions and later represented the Pakistan national football team.[10][11]
It would be wrong to say he (Ghaznavi) was only a coach, he was Mohammedan's heart
Following the Independence of Bangladesh, Ghaznavi served in the Bangladesh Football Federation from 1972 to 1979. He was part of the committee which selected the first Bangladesh national football team in 1973.[3] In 1980, Ghaznavi brought Azad Sporting Club forward Abdus Salam Murshedy to Mohammedan, who would repay his faith by scoring a record 27 league goals in 1982, as Mohammedan won its fifth league title after the country's independence. In the same year, they would become the first Bangladeshi club to win a title on foreign soil, clinching the Ashish Jabbar football tournament in Durgapur, India.[13]
Personal life
Ghaznavi died on 22 August 1995 while undergoing treatment for hepatitis for four years in Los Angeles, US. He is buried in Banani graveyard in Dhaka, Bangladesh.[1][3]
Honours
Dhaka Wanderers
- Dhaka League: 1954, 1955
- Pakistan Day Football Tournament: 1955
Dhaka Mohammedan
- Dhaka League: 1957, 1959, 1961, 1963
- Independence Day Cup: 1958, 1960, 1961, 1963
- Aga Khan Gold Cup: 1959
- Ronald Shield: 1959
East Pakistan White
- National Football Championship runner-up: 1957
East Pakistan
- National Football Championship runner-up: 1959
Individual
- 1996 − National Sports Awards.
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h Tipu, Shah Mateen (23 August 2020). "ভোলার কিংবদন্তি ফুটবলার গজনবীর কথা" [About Bhola's legendary footballer Ghaznavi]. bdmetronews24.com (in Bengali). Archived from the original on 8 June 2023. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
- ^ Alam, Masud (18 October 2020). "টানা ৬ লিগজয়ী ওয়ান্ডারার্সের বর্তমানটা লজ্জার" [The Wanderers, who recorded 6 league wins in a row, are now in shame]. Prothom Alo (in Bengali). Archived from the original on 14 March 2024. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
- ^ a b c d e Dulal, Mahmud (2014). পাকিস্তান জাতীয় দল বাঙালি খেলোয়াড় (transl. Bengali players in the Pakistan national team) (in Bengali). Bishhoshahitto Bhobon.
- ^ "Organisers wake up". archive.thedailystar.net. 13 February 2006. Archived from the original on 8 August 2023. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
- ^ "এশিয়ান গেমস অনেক দূরে চলে গেছে" [The Asian Games going far away]. kalerkantho.com (in Bengali). Kalerkantho. 19 September 2014. Archived from the original on 13 February 2023. Retrieved 13 February 2023.
- ^ "এশিয়ান গেমস হোক সাফের প্রস্তুতি" [Asian Games should be preparation for SAFF]. www.kalerkantho.com (in Bengali). 2 August 2018. Archived from the original on 28 November 2023. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
- ^ "বাঙালির ফুটবল-সাফল্য এখন কেবলই স্মৃতি". U71news (in Bengali). Archived from the original on 6 April 2022. Retrieved 13 February 2023.
- ^ "ভারত-পাকিস্তানের জার্সি গায়ে মাঠে নেমেছিলেন বলাই দে" [Balai Dey, who played for both the India and Pakistan]. www.etvbharat.com (in Bengali). ETV Network. 16 June 2019. Archived from the original on 4 April 2022. Retrieved 5 April 2022.
- ^ "ফুটবলের জন্যই এক জীবনে এত সম্মান" [It is because of football that I have received so much honor in life]. Kalerkantho (in Bengali). 17 October 2014. Archived from the original on 8 December 2022. Retrieved 8 December 2022.
- ^ "বড় মনের বরেণ্য ফুটবলার টিপু" [Tipu is an elite footballer with a big heart]. Daily Janakantha (in Bengali). Archived from the original on 8 August 2023.
- ^ "শুধু ফুটবল খেললে আমার ধারেকাছে কেউ থাকত না" [If I only played football, there would be no one near me]. Kaler Kantho (in Bengali). 16 June 2016. Archived from the original on 28 October 2022. Retrieved 28 October 2022.
- ^ "'চোখের সামনে ফুটবল ধ্বংস হয়ে গেল'" [Football destroyed before our eyes]. Jugantor (in Bengali). 15 May 2020. Archived from the original on 15 March 2024. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
- ^ আমার অর্থ অর্জন সম্মান সব কিছুর মূলে ফুটবল [All my money and respect are because of football]. Kaler Kantho (in Bengali). Archived from the original on 29 December 2022. Retrieved 28 August 2018.
Bibliography
- Dulal, Mahmud (2014). পাকিস্তান জাতীয় দল বাঙালি খেলোয়াড় (transl. Bengali players in the Pakistan national team) (in Bengali). Bishhoshahitto Bhobon.
- Dulal, Mahmud (2020). খেলার মাঠে মুক্তিযুদ্ধ (transl. Liberation war in the playground) (in Bengali). Bishhoshahitto Bhobon. ISBN 978-984-8218-31-0.
- Alam, Masud (2017). ফুটবলের গল্প ফুটবলারদের গল্প (transl. The story of football the story of footballers) (in Bengali). Bishhoshahitto Bhobon. ISBN 9789849134688.
Further reading
- Chanchal, Mozzamel Haque (3 June 2020). "বড় বাদলের একাল-সেকাল" [Big Badal once upon a time]. www.jugantor.com (in Bengali). Archived from the original on 15 March 2024. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
- Mortaza, Mashrafi Bin (3 June 2020). "খেলার মাঠের অধিনায়ক থেকে বাঙালি জাতির নায়ক বঙ্গবন্ধু" [Bangabandhu went from captain on the field to captain of Bengalis]. www.banglanews24.com (in Bengali). Archived from the original on 15 March 2024. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
- Correspondent, Sports (4 April 2013). "ফুটবল মাঠের মহানায়ক হাফিজ উদ্দিন" [Football field hero Hafiz Uddin]. www.banglanews24.com (in Bengali). Archived from the original on 8 June 2023. Retrieved 8 June 2023.
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has generic name (help) - Rahman, Anisur (25 April 2024). "Wanderers back in the big league with nostalgia and new hope". The Daily Star. Archived from the original on 1 June 2024. Retrieved 1 June 2024.