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Ahmed Khan (footballer)

Overview

Ahmed Khan (1926–2017) was an Indian footballer who played as a forward. He is widely regarded as one of the most skilful Indian footballers of the late 1940s and 1950s, and was part of the Indian football team during what is often described as the golden era of the sport in the country.

Key facts

Full name Ahmed Khan
Born 1926
Died 2017
Nationality Indian
Position Forward
Known for Playing for India in the 1948 London Olympics and the 1952 Helsinki Olympics

Background

Ahmed Khan was associated with Bangalore and emerged as a footballer in the period immediately following Indian independence. He was noted for his dribbling ability, ball control and creative play, attributes that made him a recognised forward in domestic and international competition.

Career

Khan represented India at the international level during the late 1940s and the 1950s. He was part of the Indian squad that travelled to the 1948 Summer Olympics in London, India's first appearance at the Olympic Games as an independent nation, and was again involved with the national side at the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki.

At the club level he played in Indian domestic football during a period when teams from Bengal and other regions dominated competitions such as the Durand Cup, IFA Shield, Rovers Cup and Santosh Trophy. He was associated with East Bengal Club in Kolkata, where he formed part of the forward line during the late 1940s and early 1950s, a period in which the club won several major domestic honours.

Significance

Ahmed Khan belongs to the generation of Indian footballers who played during the era when India qualified for and competed in successive Olympic Games and reached the semi-finals of the 1956 Melbourne Olympics. Footballers of his time are often cited in histories of Indian football as representing the high point of the country's standing in Asian football, alongside contemporaries such as Sailen Manna, Sahu Mewalal and P. K. Banerjee.

References