In the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir, we see a significant rise in the arena of sports. Cricket and football are particularly the most played games in Kashmir division of India’s Jammu and Kashmir.
The football stadium, TRC Turf ground is home ground to clubs like Real Kashmir(professional Indian football club based in Srinagar, Kashmir) and Lonestar Kashmir FC. The ground has produced numerous talented footballers who have gained prominence and recognition from local tournaments to national leagues.
One of the stands at TRC Turf ground is named after Abdul Majeed Kakroo. The person because of whom the TRC ground wasn’t turned into a tulip garden. Kakroo preserved the roots of football in Kashmir which has now grown into a fully bloomed tree.
Who is Abdul Majeed Kakroo?
He is the first player from Kashmir to captain Indian national team. He is the legendary footballer who has played for prestigious football clubs like Mohun Bagan and East Bengal during his club career.
Abdul Majeed Kakroo’s journey to become a Kashmir’s pioneering footballer wasn’t a walk of roses. Kakroo was born and brought up in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir. At a very young age, he knew where his aim lies.
Abdul Majeed Kakroo – First Kashmiri, Indian Football Team Captain
His affair with football started at Lalchowk, Srinagar where he would practice after the 12 O’clock show was over. After honing his skills on the local ground, he had set himself apart from his peers. The standout player signed his first professional contract with Road Transport Cooperation (RTC) in 1977. At RTC, he received a monthly wage of 180rs. This was a handsome amount for the son of a veggie supplier.
Another milestone was 1979, Durand Cup. With Kakroo’s efforts RTC, for the first time reached Durand cup. They were teased and looked down upon by other teams. But Kakroo remained steadfast and led the debutants at RTC to quarterfinals of the Durand cup where they lost to JCT. Abdul Majeed Kakroo scored an impressive 18 goals. While talking to Taaruk (local talk show of Kashmir), Kakroo said after his spectacular performance at Durand Cup,
“The headlines of the Indian newspapers defined me as the lion of the Kashmir…”
His agility, strategic thinking and ability to read the game at the Durand Cup caught the attention of GMH Basha (then Indian coach).
He was called to join them at Bengaluru. Going there, was an experience of learning. It was his first chance to get into the Indian national team. There, he was asked to work on his left foot during the training. Kakroo wasn’t selected in the Indian team. He returned home, to picturesque valley of Kashmir. Instead of feeling disappointed, he worked on himself to removed any possible imperfection.
“I wrapped the stone around my left shoe with a crack bandage and made sure that I receive every ball on left foot and kept playing, playing and playing till I went to Mumbai to play…there I scored 28 goals and in the very first match I posted a hat-trick”, told Kakroo to the host of the Taaruk, Munawar Khan.
Kakroo has also represented his state, Jammu and Kashmir at Santosh Trophy or National Football Championship for Santosh Trophy.
Abdul Majeed Kakroo’s dedication, perseverance and strategic mastery didn’t go unnoticed. Even after another impressive performance at the Rovers Mug, he wasn’t selected for the national team. When Kakroo posted back-to-back hattricks in the Santosh Trophy, he could no more be disregarded.
And finally in the early 1980s, he became an integral part of Indian team’s squad. For 8 long years he played for the national team. He reached the pinnacle of his international career when he captained the India team in the 1987 Nehru Cup.
In the pages of Kashmir’s football history, he chronicled himself as the first ever Kashmiri athlete to captain his country’s team. Starting from a monthly salary of 180rs, Kakroo ended up as being one of the highest paid footballers in the country after Mohun Bagan paid him 60,000 per month.
At Kolkata, Kakroo enjoyed his fame among the crowd and the life with free movies but little did he know that there will be unexpected turn of events. In Kashmir, due to a gas cylinder blast his wife and daughter were injured. Kakroo had to return to Kashmir and couldn’t leave family because of the militancy in Kashmir during 1989-1996.
Abdul Majeed Kakroo has also represented India at 1984 Asian Cup. He has mustered two gold medals at South Asian Games. Kakroo’s legacy as a football legend highlights the potential of Kashmiri athletes. He has inspired the new generation of athletes that with determination and genuine talent one can reach to national and international platforms.
READ MORE : Kashmir Football Teams in the I-League
Tabinda Mir is a writer from Kashmir. She is an English Honours graduate and her interests primarily dwell in poetry and sports writing. She likes to cover Cricket as an avid fan. Apart from sports, her other publications include articles, poems and a letter to summer in the book titled, “Under The Summer Skies”.
Also, her leisure time activities include reading novels, poetry, non literary works, philosophies and writing poetry, short stories, articles on diverse themes.
