Hyderabad: Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy has extended financial assistance of Rs.3 lakh to former footballer D.M.K. Afzal, who was a member of the Indian team that won the Gold Medal in the 1962 Asian Games.
After learning about the problems faced by Afzal due to failing health, the Chief Minister sent officials to his house to present the cheque. Vice-chairperson and managing director of the Sports Authority of Telangana (SATG) A. Sonibala Devi and the chairman of SATG, Shiva Sena Reddy, presented the cheque to the ace footballer of yesteryears.
Revanth Reddy, who is also a football lover, extended the assistance after he learnt that footballer’s family is also struggling to meet the medical expenses.
The SATG officials were accompanied by two former India football captains Shabbir and Victor Amalraj, who also highlighted the plight of Afzal.
Dost Mohammad Khan Afzal, who was popular as DMK Afzal, is one of the legendary footballers of Hyderabad and India.
Afzal, who is now in his 80s, was a member of the Indian team that won the Gold Medal at the Asian Games in 1962.
Afzal was one of the legendary stars from Hyderabad. He played for the East Bengal football club in Kolkata.
Hyderabad was considered the cradle of Indian football as it produced many heroes who brought laurels to the country. The period from 1950s to 1980s is considered golden period of Indian football.
From 1948, when Indian football team took part in the London Olympic Games, 14 Olympians, 21 international footballers, nine national coaches and three FIFA panel referees have emerged from the city.
Six footballers captained Indian team including S. K. Azizuddin, Syed Nayeemuddin, Shahid Wasim, Mohammed Habib and Shabbir Ali
Legendary SA Rahim took India to a fourth-place finish in 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne. Rahim was the coach of the Indian team that Asian Games final in Jakarta in 1962. He was India’s most successful coach.
