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When the world's a stage...
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Coach S.A. Raheem helped hone the skills of the finest players of India.
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THE TEAM Coach S.A Raheem seated second from left
The stage is set for the start of the FIFA World Cup 2006 in Germany. The event which is widely regarded as one of the most eagerly awaited sports events in the world will bring into focus the performances of the best players and the best teams pitted against each other on a single platform. But behind the scenes are people whose decisions and actions also make a huge impact upon the eventual outcome.
They include the coaches who guide the destinies of great players and talented teams.
They have a tough job and many of them are themselves very colourful personalities who have a panache for handling their high pressure jobs with a style of their own.
A couple of years ago, Gus Hiddink the Dutchman who was in charge of the Korean team had said that in order to be successful, a coach should have a scientific mind, a flair for artistry and also possess top level management skills to coordinate and motivate the star players under his charge.
The man behind the team
Back in the 1950s and 1960s, Hyderabad had produced a man who went on to become one of India's most successful coaches.
That person - S.A. Raheem - moulded the Indian team into an unit which was world class. There were many players of great talent then, but the credit for making them function like a well-oiled machine has to go to Raheem.
According to some of the players who had played under Raheem, the coach's astute judgement of the players including not only their physical skills and stamina but also their mental aptitude, helped him to play the right man in the right place.
Raheem formed his strategies by making the optimum use of the resources he had at his command. In short, Raheem was able to bring about a perfect harmony between his players and their individual aims and objectives and balance it with the aims and objectives of the team as a whole.
Before he passed away a few years ago, Noor Mohammed, one of the members of the team, which took part in the 1956 Olympics had recalled vividly how Raheem had carefully planned the team's ploys against its rivals. Basically, it was based on maintaining a solidly packed defence to thwart the fast and powerful forwards that most European teams had in their ranks.
"The rival teams would get so frustrated at not being able to score goals, that they would send more players into the attack thereby leaving big gaps in their own territory. Raheem Sahab could spot the widening gaps as the match progressed and he would pass on the word to us. Whenever an opening presented itself, he would shout out instructions to counter attack and we would do so immediately. More often than not, our methods proved successful," Noor used to say.
Thanks to the Hyderabadi coach's insight and knowledge of the game and his players, the Indian team had achieved feats which it cannot even dream of now.
ABHIJIT SEN GUPTA
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