Bashir Ahmed (field hockey, born 1941)

Not to be confused with Bashir Ahmed (field hockey, born 1934).

For other people with similar names, see Bashir Ahmed (disambiguation).

Bashir Ahmed
বশির আহমেদ
Bashir in 1962
Born	1941 (age 82–83) Dhaka, Bengal Province, British India
Nationality	Bangladeshi
Alma mater	University of Dhaka
Field hockey career Playing position Right-out, Left-in Senior career Years Team 1957–1962 Victoria SC 1963–1970 National Bank of Pakistan 1971–1976 Sonali Bank National team Years Team Caps Goals 1960–1967 East Pakistan 1962 Pakistan Coaching career 1977–1978 Dhaka Mohammedan 1978 Bangladesh 1982 Bangladesh women
Association football career Position(s) Winger Senior career* Years Team Apps (Gls) 1956 Dhaka SC 1957–1962 Victoria SC 1963–1967 Dhaka Mohammedan International career 1958–1963 East Pakistan *Club domestic league appearances and goals

Bashir Ahmed (born 1941) is a retired Bangladeshi international field hockey player and is the first Bengali player to represent the Pakistan men's national field hockey team. He was also a prominent football player and referee.

Early life

Bashir Ahmed was born in Mahut-tuli area in Dhaka. He studied in Armanitola Government High School. After he enrolled in the University of Dhaka, he took part in field hockey, football, cricket and athletics. He was an active sportsman during the late '50s and '60s. The Dhaka clubs he played for included Mohammedan Sporting, Victoria Sporting, Brothers Union and National Bank of Pakistan (now Sonali Bank).

Field hockey career

National Hockey Championship

Bashir represented East Pakistan in the National Hockey Championship for several years. He was also a member of the East Pakistan Sports Federation's hockey team that won its only match in the history of the championship. This match against Pakistan Navy was played at Karachi on 1 April 1967.

International matches

In 1962, Bashir played two international matches from the Pakistan field hockey team against visiting foreign hockey teams, becoming the first Bengali player to do so. The games were played against teams of Kenya and Holland. Both of these matches were played at Dacca, where Bashir played at right-out position.

Coaching and umpiring

Bashir was the head coach of the Bangladesh men's national field hockey team at the 1978 Asian Games in Bangkok, Thailand. He coached Dhaka Mohammedan to the 1977-78 Dhaka Hockey First Division League title. In 1982, Bashir served as the coach of the first ever Bangladesh women. He was also an international hockey umpire and umpired in both the 1985 Men's Hockey Asia Cup and the 1989 Men's Hockey Asia Cup.

Football career

Playing career

Bashir sitting second from left with the 1961 Pakistan National Football Championship-winning Dhaka Division team.

Bashir began his football career with Dhaka Sporting Club in the Second Division League. In 1962, he won four titles with Victoria Sporting Club, including the First Division, Aga Khan Gold Cup, Independence Day Cup, and Mohammad Ali Bogra Shield. In 1959, he was a guest player for the Dhaka Mohammedan team, which became the first East Pakistani club to lift the Aga Khan Gold Cup. He represented East Pakistan at the National Football Championship in 1958, 1959, and 1960, emerging as champions in the latter. Bashir was the vice-captain of Dhaka Division during their National Championship triumph in 1961–62. In 1961 and 1963, Bashir represented East Pakistan in exhibition games against Burma and China, scoring during a 1–11 defeat to China in a game held at the Dhaka Stadium on 24 January 1963. In June 1963, he represented the East Pakistan Sports Board XI during an exhibition match against Germany's Bundesliga club Fortuna Düsseldorf in Dhaka. He also represented the football teams of both Dhaka University and Jagannath College from 1952 to 1967.

Bashir sitting second from left with the East Pakistan football team in 1963 before an exhibition game against China (above), shaking hands with Minister A.T.M Mustafa (below) prior to an exhibition game against Fortuna Düsseldorf.

Refereeing career

Bashir was a referee in domestic football. In 2008, he served as the chairman of Bangladesh Football Federation's Referees' Committee.

Honours

Hockey

Victoria SC

• Atiqullah Cup: 1958

National Bank of Pakistan

• Pakistan Hockey League: 1963–64, 1966–67

Sonali Bank

• Shaheed Smriti Hockey Tournament: 1976

Dhaka Mohammedan

• Dhaka Hockey First Division League: 1977–78 (as coach)

Football

Victoria SC

• Dhaka League: 1962
• Aga Khan Gold Cup: 1962
• Independence Day Cup: 1962
• Mohammad Ali Bogra Shield: 1962

Dhaka Mohammedan

• Dhaka League: 1963, 1965, 1966
• Aga Khan Gold Cup: 1959 (guest player), 1964
• Independence Day Cup: 1963, 1966
• Mohammad Ali Bogra Shield: 1966
• Liaquat Ali Gold Cup: 1967

East Pakistan

• National Football Championship: 1960

Dhaka Division

• National Football Championship: 1961–62

Jagannath College

• Ronald Shield: 1962

Awards and accolades

• Best Sportsperson Award by the East Pakistan Sports Press Association (1966)
• National Sports Award (1980) in field hockey
• Grameenphone-Prothom Alo Lifetime Achievement Award (2008)
• Star Lifetime Award (2016)

Bibliography

• Mahmud, Dulal (2020). খেলার মাঠে মুক্তিযুদ্ধ (transl. Liberation war in the playground) (in Bengali). Bishhoshahitto Bhobon. ISBN 978-984-8218-31-0.
• Alam, Masud (2017). ফুটবলের গল্প ফুটবলারদের গল্প (transl. The story of football the story of footballers) (in Bengali). Bishhoshahitto Bhobon. ISBN 9789849134688.
• Mahmud, Noman (2018). ফুটবল পায়ে মুক্তির যুদ্ধ (transl. Liberation war fought by football) (in Bengali). Agamee Prakashani. ISBN 978-984-8218-31-0.