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In a small locality, Nong-Sohphh, Naspati-ghari in upper Mawprem, Shillong, an 86-year old man recovering from a heart operation is nostalgically recalling his experiences on the football field. This ailing patient is none other than the legendary Lt. Col. (Retd.) Puran Bahadur Thapa, whose delectable body swerves and thunderous left-footed shots entertained fans from Kashmir to Kanyakumari in the 1950s. He had large and powerful thighs, a low centre of gravity, could turn quickly and unleash powerful but accurate shots from any angle.
Throughout his career, he played as either an inside left or outside left. Despite several offers from Kolkata clubs, he never left the security of his army job. Born in 1928, he joined the Indian Army in 1947. After his football career was over, he excelled as a soldier and retired as Lt. Colonel. He played for the 8th Gorkha Rifles and Gorkha Brigade, represented Services in the Santosh trophy and played on several occasions for India.
This now forgotten man of Indian football became a household name 49 years ago, when he scored a hat-trick in an international match, at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata in the Quadrangular football tournament against Pakistan. It was the first hat-trick by an Indian in international football. Puran Bahadur’s hat-trick enabled India win the tie 3-1 and win the Quadrangular trophy for the third successive year. Overall, this tournament was held for four years, 1952-55) and Indian won each time, never losing a match to any of their opponents, Burma (now Myanmar), Pakistan and Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). In 1954, the only year this event was staged in India, the great S.A. Rahim was India’s coach and the late Sailen Manna was India’s captain.
Puran Bahadur was the star of that tournament. In the opening match against tenacious Ceylon, he created the only goal with a measured cross for overlapping left-half Noor Mohammed. In the next match, he and J. Anthony scored in the 2-1 win over Burma. Then came the icing on the cake, as his hat-trick against Pakistan helped India win the tournament. In those days, Pakistan was quite a formidable team and included the skilful outside left Masud Fakhri, who later played 2nd division league football in England.
In 1955, he again excelled for India when they won the Quadrangular tournament for the fourth time, beating Ceylon 4-3, Burma 5-2 and Pakistan 2-1. The tournament was staged in Dhaka and S.K. Azizuddin was India’s captain.
That same year, Puran Bahadur lined up for India against the USSR Services team in an international match at the National Stadium, in Delhi. This USSR Services team contained legendary names like goalkeeper Lev Yashin, midfielders Igor Netto and Boris Tatushin. This trio and some others in that team were members of the USSR team, which a year later won the gold medal in the 1956 Melbourne Olympics. Yet, on that sunny winter’s day in Delhi, they struggled to contain the mesmeric dribbling skills of Puran Bahadur. Oozing with confidence, he repeatedly evaded his marker with body swerves and sharp dribbles. The Soviet players were amazed at his ball skills, game sense and fitness. After the match, the manager of the Soviet team went to the press box and asked some of the local media about the background of Puran Bahadur.
His left-footed shots were so accurate and powerful that famous Indian goalkeeper Peter Thangaraj always said that he would always be left stranded whenever Puran Bahadur took a penalty kick against him in practice or in matches.
Yet, for all his skills and popularity, Puran Bahadur did not play for India in any major international tournament like the Asian Games or the Olympics. He represented India in two Quadrangular tournaments on foreign tours to Afghanistan in 1949, the Far East tour in 1951 and in friendly internationals on home soil. Injuries or work commitment deprived him of higher glories. However, this stockily built 5’4″ forward has no grudges and regrets about missing some famous tournaments, as the Army was his career.
A certainty for the 1952 Helsinki Olympics, he was not given permission to attend the trials as he was commissioned as an officer in the Indian Army that year, and joined the Indian Military Academy in Dehra Dun. He was really unlucky not to be chosen for the 1954 Asian Games in Manila. Ahmed Khan, Puran Bahadur and J. Kittu were automatic choices on the left flank. But he got injured, compelling chief coach Balai Das Chatterjee to choose M. Jayaram (Services) in his place.
Again, knee trouble forced him to opt out from the 1956 Melbourne Olympics. Precocious teenagers Tulsidas Balaram and Zulfikar got selected on the left flank along with J. Kittu. During that period there was a lot of depth in Indian football, and competition was intense for each position, with three or four well-known names vying for one position. Also, Puran Bahadur remained with the Services and Gorkha Brigade, which did not have much of a say in the selection of the national team. It was felt that if he had played for a Bengal club, he would have played more for India. A combination of all these factors resulted in India’s first hat-trick man not getting his due recognition with regard to international appearances.
But Puran Bahadur will always be remembered as a supreme entertainer. The Ambedkar Stadium in Delhi (known as the Delhi Gate Stadium in the 1950s) was his happy hunting ground, and he was always a crowd favourite. A charismatic player, he had numerous fans from all communities and walks of life in the capital. In the now defunct DCM football tournament he guided the 8th Gorkhas, Dehradun to three consecutive finals, from 1950—52. In 1950, they lost to East Bengal 2-2, 0-2 and in 1951 to Rajasthan Club, Calcutta 0-1 and again in 1952 to the all-conquering East Bengal 0-4 in the final. In 1952, East Bengal also beat Hyderabad City Police 1-0 in the Durand final and became the first team to win the “Delhi double” the DCM and Durand tournament in the same year.
His finest hour was in the 1953 Durand tournament when he played for the National Defence Academy and the team, consisting mostly of young cadets, unexpectedly reached the final. In the quarterfinals they upset mighty East Bengal 2-0. East Bengal had renowned international forwards in outside right P. Venkatesh, inside left J. Kittu and outside left Ahmed Khan. However, they were all eclipsed by the all-round skills of Puran Bahadur. In the semifinals, they played Mohammedan Sporting thrice before beating their renowned opponents. There were no penalty shootouts in those days and replays were common place. In the final, they were exhausted after playing so many matches within a week, and lost 0-4 to Mohun Bagan, for whom internationals S. Raman(1948 London Olympics) and Samar “Badru” Banerjee, India’s captain in the 1956 Melbourne Olympics, each scored a brace. During the 1953 Durand tournament, Puran Bahadur forged a telepathic combination with centre forward Moloy “Mike” Lahiri, which continued till they both retired from the game in 1960.
Both also excelled in the 1958 Durand tournament. Inside left Puran Bahadur, with his crisp through passes and accurate crosses, created havoc. Gorkha Brigade upset the 1957 Durand champions Hyderabad City Police 3-1 in the quarterfinals and later in the semifinals ousted Indian Air Force 3-0. In the first all-regimental Durand final since Independence, Madras Regimental Centre (MRC) Wellington beat Gorkha Brigade 2-0 in the final.
A prolific goal-scorer, Lahiri scored many goals from Puran Bahadur’s probing passes. They belonged to an age gone by in their reactions during the game. After scoring a goal, Lahiri would raise his arm towards Puran Bahadur and acknowledge the pass with a smile. There was no excessive emotion and celebrations, or scenes of hugging and smothering the goalscorer and gesticulating towards the crowds. Both Lahiri and Puran Bahadur never thought of leaving the Indian Army and playing club football in Calcutta or Bombay.
Both played for India but not as much as they should have. Lahiri was controversially dropped from the squad announced for the 1960 Rome Olympics and named as the first reserve though he was a regular in the national team since 1958. The non-selection devastated him and he quit the game months later, devoting himself to his Army career. Lahiri had a distinguished career as he went on to Fort Bragg, North Carolina to become India’s first Green Beret Ranger and then raised the Commando wing of the Infantry school, Mhow. He retired as a much-acclaimed Lt. General but sadly died of cancer some years ago.
Puran Bahadur, now in the twilight of his life, is still a keen follower of Indian football, and laments that there is not as much depth in talent as was present in his playing days. He has two sons Ajay and Vijay Thapa. Ajay Thapa was captain of the St. Anthony’s Shillong school team which won the 1978 Subroto Mukherjee Cup beating Madhyamgram HS, Bengal 1-0 in the final, but then started his own business.
