Sajid Yousuf Dar was born into a family with a rich sporting history. His father Muhammad Yousuf Dar was regarded as one of the best footballers of his generation.
Sajid’s career began in the early 1990s as a defender at the SP Higher Secondary School. His growth saw him play for the YMCA which was one of the best football teams in the valley at that time. He even had the honor of captaining the YMCA and led the team to multiple trophies.
Regarded as one of the finest defenders in the whole of North Zone, Sajid represented Jammu and Kashmir football team in the Santosh trophy between 2000-2002. He left a lasting mark on the local football scene and decided to continue his journey as a coach.
Sajid Yousuf’s Coaching Career
Dar completed his Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Physical Education from Punjabi University, Patiala. He first coached the U-14 Boys’ National Team in 2012. He led his team in the AFC Football Festival in Katmandu. In the U-14 SAARC Football Championship in Tokyo, Japan, his team was unbeaten in the whole competition.
Dar was an integral part of the formation of Lone Star Football Club and served as Technical Director of Real Kashmir during their journey to the I-League.
He even established six female football academies helping young girls showcase their talent. This led to many Kashmiri girls participating in the Indian Women’s League.
He was awarded the Best Coach of the Year in 2014 by the Jammu and Kashmir Government.
Dar then turned his attention towards international coaching and was appointed as head coach of the India U16 side.
His biggest achievement came in March 2015, when he was appointed as the head coach of the Indian Women’s National Team. In his first game in charge, India thrashed Sri Lanka 4-0 in the Olympics qualifier.
“The decision was not easy. I could have still played for a few more years, but while playing in the nationals, we felt that we lacked some good guidance. Me along with my friend Hilal Rasool decided to take admission in sports coaching, and we got selected. The journey as a coach started soon after finishing my diploma from NSNIS Patiala in 2003-04,” Sajid said on his journey to football coaching.
Sajid Yousuf’s journey to clinch the South Asian Games gold medal
Sajid Yousuf led India in the South Asian Games in 2016. India’s first game was against Madieves which ended in a goalless draw. They thrashed Sri Lanka 5-0 in the second game thanks to Grace Dangmei’s brace.
The third group game against Nepal again ended in a 0-0 stalemate before thrashing Bangladesh 5-1 in the final group match. This set up a Gold Medal Match against Nepal in the final.
Nepal were no match for Dar’s India as the Blue Tigresses outplayed Nepal by 4-1 in the final to win the South Asian Games gold medal. Yumnam Kamala Devi scored 2 goals with one each from Ngangom Bala Devi and Loitongbam Ashalata Devi.
It was Dar who encouraged star footballer Bembem Devi to return to Indian football ahead of the South Asian Games. Devi retired from international football at the end of 2015 but Dar was committed to giving her a warm sendoff by winning the gold in the South Asian Games.
In an open mic session with Taarukk, Dar spoke about Bembem Devi’s return to the National side, “Devi had already announced her retirement, but I felt that she should not retire like that. She had represented her country for 20 years and made significant contributions.“
“We invited Bembem Devi and she accepted the invitation to be part of the Indian women’s team,” he added.
Dar also recalled the pressure that his team faced after the first game against Maldives.
“All the players and managing staff came under such pressure that they feared an early exit from the tournament. At the dinner table, I called all my players. Obviously, Bem Bem, who was our senior member of the team, helped motivate and encourage the players a bit. I told them that we still have more matches and have a good chance of making it to the next round” Dar said.
The next major tournament came in the form of the SAFF Championship in West Bengal. India again emerged as the winners beating Bangladesh 3-1 in the final.
Dar’s last game as the coach of the Indian Women’s National Team was against Hong Kong in April 2017 which India won 2-0.
Dar is currently an AIFF/AFC coach educator and is working as a football coach at the University of Kashmir.
Read More: International football players from Kashmir
Mohd Faisal Hakak is a sports author from Kashmir. He likes to keep tabs on the sporting world with a keen interest in football, motorsports, NBA, and other marquee sports. He is a science graduate from Islamia College Srinagar.
