Azad Sporting Club (Bengali: আজাদ স্পোর্টিং ক্লাব), also referred as Azad SC, is an association football club based in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The club was considered one of the pioneers of Bengali football in East Pakistan and participated in the Dhaka League until relegation in 1985. The club has been inactive in the domestic football circuit since the turn of the century.
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| Full name | Azad Sporting Club | |
|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Red and Yellows | |
| Founded | 1949 | |
| Ground | Azad Sporting Club Ground, Arambagh | |
| President | Enayet Hossain | |
| V. President | MA Mannan | |
|
| ||
History edit
Azad Sporting Club was formed in 1949 by Bengali writers and cultural organizers. Renowned artist Quamrul Hassan chose the colour and designed the club's kit. MA Kayum and Anwar Hossain were appointed as the club's president and general secretary, respectively. They entered the Dhaka Second Division League and were promoted to the Dhaka League within two years after winning the Second Division, becoming joint champions with Fire Service SC in 1950.[1]
In 1951, the club entered the First Division, the Dhaka League, and were captained by Tofazzel Hossain. They finished runners-up in the top-tier in 1952, 1953 and 1954. The club was almost entirely made up of Bengali players, which was unlike most top-tier teams at the time who favoured Punjabi and Makrani players.
The club transformed with the appointment of general secretary Saifuddin Ahmed as they won their first and only Dhaka League title in 1958.[2][3] With the club tied on points with Central Station & Printing Press after the initial league phase, Tajul Islam Manna scored a brace as Azad won the play-off game 3–2 to claim their maiden league title triumph. Manna was the league's top scorer that year with 25 goals. Alongside him, the other notable players in the team were captain Ranjit Das and winger Mari Chowdhury.[4]
Their title triumph saw them participate in the first edition of the Aga Khan Gold Cup in 1958.[note 1] The club were tagged as Giant Killers after the Independence of Bangladesh, nonetheless, were relegated to the Second Division in 1985. Eventually, in the 1993–94 season, the club descended to the Third Division, and the following season, in 1994–95, they plummeted even further to the Pioneer Division. In 1998, their football department stopped functioning due to financial restraints.[5][6]
Notable players edit
The most notable player to have represented the club is their all-time top scorer Tajul Islam Manna, who played for them from 1954 to 1963, scoring 77 league goals including 10 hat-tricks in the process.[7] The East Pakistani striker also represented the Pakistan national team in 1955, scoring the only goal of the game against India in a Non-FIFA Friendly.[8]
Other notable players include: Tarapda Roy, Ranjit Das, SA Jumman Mukta, Jalil Ansari,[9] Monwar Hossain Nannu, Shahidur Rahman Shantoo,[10] Anjam Hossain, Ehtesham, Salam Murshedy,[11] Mari Chowdhury,[12] Khandoker Mohammad Nurunnabi,[13] Elias Hossain,[14] Muhammad Kamruzzaman[15] and Anwar Hossain.[16] Sheikh Monsur Ali Lalu who later played for the Shadhin Bangla Football Team also began his First Division career with the club.
Club members edit
President edit
| No. | Name | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | MA Kayum | 1949 | 1950 |
| 2 | Alhaj Moti Sardar | 1951 | 1952 |
| 3 | AA Siddique | 1953 | 1960 |
| 4 | SR Karim | 1961 | 1962 |
| 5 | Kofiluddin Mahmud | 1963 | 1971 |
| 6 | Mohazzem Hossain | 1972 | 1976 |
| 7 | Mir Shawkat Ali | 1977 | 1980 |
| 8 | Salam Talukdar | 1981 | 1983 |
| 9 | Azhar Ali | 1984 | 1987 |
| 10 | MA Hamid | 1988 | 1989 |
| 11 | Sayeed Mohammed Anwar Hossain | 1992 | 1993 |
| 12 | Mosharaf Hossain Shajahan | 1994 | 1998 |
| 13 | Enayet Hossain | 2009 | present |
General Scretary edit
| No. | Name | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Anwar Hossain | 1949 | 1951 |
| 2 | AA Siddique | 1952 | 1957 |
| 3 | Saifuddin Ahmed | 1958 | 1989 |
| 4 | Kazi Anisur Rahman | 1994 | 1995 |
| 5 | M. A. Rashid | 1996 | 1999 |
| 6 | Reza Ali Bulu | 1996 | 2001 |
| 7 | Mujibur Rahman | 2009 | present |
Head coach edit
| Name | From | To |
|---|---|---|
| Ranjit Das | 1975 | – |
| Abdul Sadek | 1978 | 1979 |
| Ehtesham | 1980 | 1982 |
| Mozzamel Hossain | 1983 | 1983 |
Records and statistics edit
Season by season edit
| Record as Dhaka Football League member | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Division | League | Federation Cup | Independence Cup | Asian club competition | Top league scorer(s) | |||||||||
| P | W | D | L | GF | GA | Pts | Position | Player | Goals | ||||||
| 1973 | Dhaka League | 28 | 7 | 8 | 13 | 38 | 44 | 22 | 9th | — | — | DNQ | |||
| 1974 | Dhaka League | 15 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 19 | 18 | 16 | 10th | DNQ | |||||
| 1975 | Dhaka League | 30 | 7 | 7 | 16 | 24 | 40 | 21 | 14th | DNQ | |||||
| 1976 | Dhaka League | 15 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 14 | 29 | 10 | 15th | DNQ | |||||
| 1977 | Dhaka League | 15 | 3 | 8 | 4 | 7 | 12 | 14 | 10th | DNQ | |||||
| 1978 | Dhaka League | 24 | 6 | 11 | 7 | 17 | 20 | 20 | 8th | DNQ | |||||
| 1979 | Dhaka League | 16 | 3 | 6 | 7 | 9 | 14 | 12 | 13th | DNQ | |||||
| 1980 | Dhaka League | 22 | 5 | 9 | 8 | 14 | 20 | 19 | 7th | First round | DNQ | ||||
| 1981 | Dhaka League | 16 | 3 | 4 | 9 | 7 | 11 | 10 | 17th | First round | DNQ | ||||
| 1982 | Dhaka League | 16 | 4 | 7 | 5 | 13 | 13 | 15 | 10th | Second round | DNQ | ||||
| 1983 | Dhaka League | 16 | 2 | 9 | 5 | 14 | 21 | 13 | 11th | First round | DNQ | ||||
| 1984 | Dhaka League | 19 | 3 | 11 | 5 | 10 | 18 | 20 | 14th | Quarter-final | DNQ | ||||
| 1985 | Dhaka League | 18 | 2 | 8 | 7 | 12 | 19 | 14 | 17th | DNP | DNQ | ||||
Note: Azad Sporting Club competed in the Dhaka Second Division League from 1949 to 1950 and entered the Dhaka League in 1951, however, only records after the Independence of Bangladesh are available.
Honours edit
- Dhaka League
- Winners (1): 1958
- Dhaka Second Division League
- Winners (1): 1950
Other departments edit
Volleyball edit
The club's volleyball team participates in the Premier Division Volleyball league under the Bangladesh Volleyball Federation. They were runners-up to WAPDA SC in the league during the 1975–76 season, which remains their best finish to date.[6][17]
Field hockey edit
The clubs field hockey team currently plays in the Premier Division Hockey League. They are yet to win the league title although the club's hockey team has been a regular participant in the league since the independence of Bangladesh.[18] In February 2024, the club withdrew its name from the 2024 Premier Division Hockey League citing financial issues.[19]
Cricket edit
The club's cricket team last participated in the 2015 Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League. They have had national cricket team captains Akram Khan and Shakib Al Hasan represent them in the domestic competitions.[20]
Kabaddi edit
Azad Sporting Club has both men's and women's Kabaddi teams playing in the First Division Kabaddi League. In 2015, they became champions in the first open Women's Beach Kabaddi Competition, defeating Judain Janata Club by 53-51 points in the final held in Cox's Bazar.[21]
See also edit
Notes edit
- ^ The competition is widely regarded as the predecessor of AFC Champions League (held for the first time in 1967), since it was the first organized international competition that involved club teams around Asia, organized by the football authorities of East Pakistan, in collaboration with Asian Football Confederation (AFC).
References edit
- ^ Alam, Dhrubo (July 16, 2018). "Kick, Score, Scream! The History of Football in Dhaka". Archived from the original on November 1, 2019. Retrieved May 20, 2023.
- ^ "সাইফুদ্দিন সাহেব: আজাদ স্পোর্টিং ক্লাবের টানা ৩১ সেক্রেটারি" [Saifuddin Shaheb: Secretary of Azad Sporting Club for 31 consecutive years]. www.facebook.com (in Bengali). Archived from the original on 1 December 2023. Retrieved 14 May 2023.
- ^ "রণজিৎ দাসের বাড়িতে এক বেলা". Prothomalo (in Bengali). September 28, 2016. Archived from the original on May 20, 2023. Retrieved May 20, 2023.
- ^ Alam, Masud (April 1, 2022). "How is Sylhet's 'Telegram age' goalkeeper Ranjit Das doing". Prothomalo. Archived from the original on May 20, 2023. Retrieved May 20, 2023.
- ^ "লিমিটেড কোম্পানী হচ্ছে আজাদ স্পোর্টিং ক্লাব". DailyInqilabOnline (in Bengali). Archived from the original on 2023-05-20. Retrieved 2023-05-20.
- ^ a b "আজাদ স্পোর্টিংও হচ্ছে লিমিটেড কোম্পানি". www.jugantor.com (in Bengali). Archived from the original on 2023-05-20. Retrieved 2023-05-20.
- ^ "চিরনিদ্রায় মান্না ঘুমিয়ে গেছেন" [Manna has gone to eternal sleep]. www.facebook.com (in Bengali). Archived from the original on 1 December 2023. Retrieved 9 April 2023.
- ^ "Asian Quadrangular Tournament (Colombo Cup) 1952-1955". www.rsssf.org. Archived from the original on 2014-07-27. Retrieved 2023-05-20.
- ^ "পঞ্চাশের দশকে ঢাকার ফুটবলে রক্ষণ ভাগের দুই প্রহরীর গল্প". ctgsangbad24.com (in Bengali). July 2, 2022. Archived from the original on 2 December 2023. Retrieved December 1, 2023.
- ^ Zubaear, Arafat. "'১:১ বেশি উপভোগ করতাম'". dhakapost.com (in Bengali). Archived from the original on 2023-05-06. Retrieved 2023-05-20.
- ^ আমার অর্থ অর্জন সম্মান সব কিছুর মূলে ফুটবল. Kaler Kantho (in Bengali). Archived from the original on 29 December 2022. Retrieved 2018-08-28.
- ^ "চিহ্লা মং মারী: এক ফুটবল যোদ্ধা". pavilion.com.bd (in Bengali). Archived from the original on 2023-01-03. Retrieved 2023-05-20.
- ^ "Nurunnabi passes away". The Daily Star. December 9, 2016. Archived from the original on December 16, 2022. Retrieved December 16, 2022.
- ^ "তবু স্বপ্ন দেখেন ইলিয়াস". Prothomalo (in Bengali). Archived from the original on 21 February 2024.
- ^ ভালোবাসার কাজটি করতে পেরেছি বলে আনন্দ ছিল অফুরান. Kaler Kantho (in Bengali). Archived from the original on 26 February 2024. Retrieved 2024-02-26.
- ^ "ফুটবল আনোয়ার কে অনেক কিছু দিয়েছে" [Football has given a lot to Anwar]. www.facebook.com (in Bengali). Archived from the original on 1 December 2023. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
- ^ "বঙ্গবন্ধু প্রিমিয়ার ভলিবল লিগ". www.jugantor.com (in Bengali). Archived from the original on 2023-05-22. Retrieved 2023-06-07.
- ^ "প্রথম জয় পেয়েছে আজাদ, সজীবের হ্যাট্রিক". Somoy News (in Bengali). Archived from the original on 2023-05-20. Retrieved 2023-05-20.
- ^ "ফুটবলের পথে কি আজাদের হকিও!". Dhaka Post (in Bengali). Archived from the original on 2024-02-21. Retrieved 2024-02-21.
- ^ "Azad Sporting Club Team | Azad | Match, Live Score, News". ESPNcricinfo. Archived from the original on 2023-05-20. Retrieved 2023-05-20.
- ^ "মহিলা বীচ কাবাডি চ্যাম্পিয়ন আজাদ স্পোর্টিং ক্লাব". The Daily Sangram (in Bengali). Archived from the original on 2023-05-22. Retrieved 2023-06-07.
Further reading edit
- Dulal, Mahmud (2014). পাকিস্তান জাতীয় দল বাঙালি খেলোয়াড় (transl. Bengali players in the Pakistan national team) (in Bengali). Bishhoshahitto Bhobon.
- Dulal, Mahmud (2020). খেলার মাঠে মুক্তিযুদ্ধ (transl. Liberation war in the playground) (in Bengali). Bishhoshahitto Bhobon. ISBN 978-984-8218-31-0.
- Golam, Sarwar Tipu (13 February 2006). "Organisers wake up". thedailystar.net. Archived from the original on 20 May 2023. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
- Arif, Mahbub (17 November 2015). "বাঙালির ফুটবল-সাফল্য এখন কেবলই স্মৃতি" [The success of Bengali football is now merely a memory]. u71news.com (in Bengali). Archived from the original on 6 April 2022. Retrieved 6 April 2022.
- Alam, Masud (2017). ফুটবলের গল্প ফুটবলারদের গল্প (transl. The story of football the story of footballers) (in Bengali). Bishhoshahitto Bhobon. ISBN 9789849134688.
- "Looking back into Bangladesh football in the 80s". weeklyblitz.net. 29 April 2021. Archived from the original on 20 May 2023. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
- Mahmud, Noman (2018). ফুটবল পায়ে মুক্তির যুদ্ধ (transl. Liberation war fought by football) (in Bengali). Agamee Prakashani. ISBN 978-984-8218-31-0.
- Hossain, Akhtar (18 February 2019). "Dhaka Football League: Days of Glory". daily-sun.com. Archived from the original on 20 May 2023. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
- "ফুটবলে একঝাঁক সম্ভাবনাময় তরুণ" [A bunch of promising youngsters in football]. Kaler Kantho (in Bengali). 3 December 2015. Archived from the original on 26 February 2024. Retrieved 26 February 2024.
- Iqbal, Kabir (6 September 2022). "ষাটের দশকে ফুটবলে খ্যাপের ওস্তাদ ফায়ারসার্ভিসের বিমল দাদা এখন ইতিহাসের সাক্ষী" [Bimal Dada, Fire Service's master of football in sixties, is now a witness of history]. ctgsangbad24.com (in Bengali). Archived from the original on 2 December 2023. Retrieved 2 December 2023.
- Hoque, Shishir (16 January 2024). "The man behind reformation of Bangladesh sports". Dhaka Tribune. Archived from the original on 25 March 2024. Retrieved 25 March 2024.
External links edit
- Azad Sporting Club at National-Football-Teams.com