Football Olympians seek medical aid

 Hyderabad: A vociferous demand was made here on Friday for providing medical assistance and hospital expenses free of cost to all the five surviving football Olympians from Hyderabad.

Lamenting the sorry economic state of the five, Tulsidas Balaraman, amongst the greatest strikers, and one who was integral to the golden era of Indian football, stated that unlike the yesteryear champion performers from other States, it was only in Telangana State and Andhra Pradesh that footballers of a bygone period were left to fend for themselves with little or no help from the government.

Based in Kolkata, and a living legend who swore by East Bengal, the frail-looking 80 plus Balaram, as he is more popularly known, minced no words while castigating successive governments for their gross neglect of those iconic figures, who brought Olympic and Asian glory to the country with their exuberance that ranked alongside the best contemporary talent.

There was emotion, anger and sorrow when he went down memory lane while recalling the halcyon days, which till date remain an unparalleled folklore, particularly the 1956 and 1960 Olympics, which continue to be the highpoints of Indian football.

‘We wish to get better health care in the twilight of our life. We should be treated as Olympians and not as men on the street. I am sure we are not asking for the moon nor do we grudge the incentives that are given to the present day sportspersons,’ he sighed.

Orchestrating similar opinions and regrets, fellow-Olympians SHH Hamed and SH Hakeem wondered why footballers of eminence were never considered for Padma awards even though what they achieved was no less significant than the individual champions, who are gifted millions and the biggest of national awards.  Ahmed Hussain and Zulfaqar are other two surviving Olympians from Hyderabad.

‘I am sorry to state this but I don’t see an Indian team making it to the Olympic semifinals in the next one hundred years,’ thundered the outspoken Hakeem, whose father the much revered Rahim Saab was also denied such decorations.They are likely to petition the authorities with their plea to come to their aid and extend facilities that are provided to families of freedom fighters.