Former India footballer Ahmed Khan, who represented the country at the 1948 and 1952 Olympic Games, passed away at his home near Coles Park here on Sunday.
The 90-year-old was one of the finest players of his generation, and was nicknamed ‘the snake charmer’ for his magnificent ball control. Khan, who won the Asian Games gold in 1951, was the last surviving member of the barefooted Indian sides that enthralled the public at the London and Helsinki Olympics.
Born into a family of footballers, Khan began playing when he was a young boy at local club Bangalore Crescent, where he played alongside his father, Baba Khan. He later joined Bangalore Muslims before moving to Kolkata club East Bengal in 1949, where he achieved superstar status for a decade of service. “He was a genius,” recalls his brother Amjad Khan, Deputy General Secretary, Karnataka State Football Association (KSFA). “His ball control was supreme. Bollywood actor Dilip Kumar was a huge fan of Ahmed. He made it a point to meet him whenever he was in Calcutta.”
Veteran football commentator Novy Kapadia says of Khan, “His ball control was unbelievable. He was a wizard,” he said. “He was considered the ultimate forward. Even for people like Chuni Goswami (another India great), he was a legend. Chuni once told me, ‘I used to watch Ahmed bhai play and would try a thing or two in my game.’”
Former KSFA president A.R. Khaleel condoled Khan’s demise. “He was India’s last link to the 1952 side. It is a big loss to the fraternity,” he said.