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Journalism of Courage
The first Indo-Scottish football connection dates back to 1937. Mohammed Abdul Salim,a prominent winger for Mohammedan Sporting,which had won five titles in a row,was invited to play friendly matches against the Chinese Olympic side. His cousin Hashim,who was a UK national,was visiting Calcutta. Having witnessed the dazzling skill of the barefooted Salim,Hashim convinced him to give the second game a skip and sail back with him to Celtic Park home of the Glasgow Celtic FC. He then persuaded the manager William Maley to give him a trial.
Salim astonished the manager with his incredible skill and was drafted into the first team. He was instrumental in the 5-1 victory against Glaston and followed it up with an impressive performance in a 7-0 rout of Hamilton Accies. Celtic wanted Salim to stay on at the club and offered him a 1800-pound contract. But home-sickness forced him to return to Kolkata.
Too little time
Former India skipper Bhaichung Bhutia,who landed a contract with Bury FC,a second division English club,in 2001 believes that it will be difficult for the Indian duo to impress during the three-day trial. Incidentally,Bhutia had a month-long trial at Bury before he inked the deal.
I had a similar short-span trial with Aston Villa. I found it difficult to get used to the cold climate and the British style of play. Lalpekhlua and Chhetri need time to get used to the conditions. Ideally,they should be fielded in competitive games. This cannot happen in three days, Bhutia said.
The Rangers seem keen to have an Indian player on board as they also want to tap into the Indian market. On the website the club has an option for Hindi commentary.
Agents benefit
Whether or not Lalpekhlua and Chhetri make the cut,agents stand to benefit,said an insider who has knowledge of how trials are organised. It is easy for the agents to arrange trials with a foreign club as long as they have contacts with other agents abroad. Players have to bear the expenditure of the tickets. The host club just takes care of the food and accommodation. The agent,however,increases his reputation as he can boast that he managed to secure trials, the insider said.
Coaches have different takes on the upcoming trial. Pune FCs Derrick Perreira terms it as a great opportunity while India coach Savio Medeira is rather cautious. There is a big gap between the skill level and the fitness standards of our players and those abroad, Medeira said.
Players like Gourmangi Singh,Renedy Singh,Subrata Paul,Sunil Chhetri amongst others have appeared for trials with foreign clubs,but havent been able to make the cut. While Gourmangi Singh is an example of a player who declined the opportunity to attend the trials of a Major League Soccer MLS club two years ago. It did not seem feasible for me. I would earn less than what I did in India, he said in a matter of fact manner.
Salims connection with Celtic has a heart warming ending. In 1980 when he was ailing from a deteriorating heart condition,his son Rashid turned to the club for help. Celtic Park officials forwarded a cheque of 2000 pounds for the man they called the Indian Juggler.
