The Shamrock has stumbled across a video history of Indian Football online which includes a prominent feature on the first Asian to play football in Europe – Celtic’s Mohammed Salim.
The feature highlights the fact that Mohammed’s significance as a footballing pioneer had, until recently, not been properly recognised in his homeland. As a leading player with the Mohammedan Sporting club he helped home-grown clubs end the dominance of colonial and British Army teams in India – even though the Indians were playing in barefoot!
Mohammed’s surviving son Rashid Ahmed talks with affection about his father’s footballing exploits, short time in Glasgow and the family’s pride at him having played for one of world football’s greatest names.
Rashid can be seen leafing through albums with photographs and newspaper cuttings of his father’s illustrious career in India and Scotland and tells of how his father was credited with being the first Indian player to perfect the bicycle kick!
It’s a fascinating 5 minute feature that reminds the world of this historic individual who left his home in Calcutta for the opportunity of a trial with Celtic – and the thousands of fans who turned out to watch him play barefoot in the Hoops – before his return home to create new records for the Mohammedan Sporting club.
Watch the interview with Rashid here on YouTube. The feature on Mohammed Salim starts at 5.00 in:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-rSSDC87Co
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Read The Shamrock’s account of the full story of Mohammed Salim, his triumphant career and his ground-breaking spell at Celtic here: https://theshamrockglasgow.wordpress.com/2013/12/18/salim-celtics-first-asian-sensation/
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If you enjoyed reading this piece you’ll likely enjoy Issue 1 of The Shamrock fanzine – with features on the Celtic Brake Clubs, Paul McStay, Early Escapades of the Celts, The 5 Ages of Celtic, Cinema Paradiso and Cliftonville 1984.
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Issue 2 out: December 2012
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