File photo of S.A. Rahim
| Photo Credit: The Hindu Archives
S.A. Rahim, the famous football coach from Hyderabad, was arguably one of the finest ever to mould some of the raw talent into gifted players from India.
The passionate coach has not only redefined the level of coaching but also had a sweeping impact on the mindset of the players in 50s and 60s, according to former India football captain Victor Amalraj, also from Hyderabad.
For the record, Rahim, popularly known as Rahim saab, was the coach of the Indian team between 1950 and 1963 which was also the golden era with India winning gold in the 1962 Asian Games.
The Indian Football Team photographed at Delhi before they emplaned for Kabul to play against Afghanistan in the Olympic qualifying round. S.A. Rahim (coach) is seen standing fourth from left.
Rahim, born in August 1909 in Hyderabad and graduated from Osmania University, was the most feared coach despite having not played the game at the highest level.
He was the epitome of commitment and discipline, rarely entertaining any erring player, even if they were to be late for the training sessions, recalls another former India football captain Shabbir Ali.
When Rahim was the coach, India Team made it to the 1956 Melbourne Olympics semifinal. More interestingly, the team five featured five players from Hyderabad.
His elder son S.A. Hakeem was also a football Olympian and younger son S.A. Waseem (Mateeen) played alongside some big names from Hyderabad including the former India football captain Shabbir Ali.
Mr. Rahim worked as a teacher at several institutions including Kachiguda Middle School, Urdu Sharif School, Darul-ul-Uloom High School and Chaderghat High School.
Hyderabad City Police, under the mentorship of Mr. Rahim, was the most feared outfit having won almost every major tournament in India including Durand Cup, Rovers Cup and Hyderabad had always been the feeder centre to supply a seemingly endless supply of great talent to Kolkata Leagues thanks to his contribution as a coach.
Telangana Football Association (earlier AP Football Association) has been conducting A-Division Rahim League, named after the great coach, which in a way keeps the glorious past alive.
