Shyam Thapa Explained

Shyam Thapa
Fullname:Shyam Thapa
Birth Date:10 May 1948
Birth Place:Gulmi District,[1] Nepal
Years1:1966
Clubs1:East Bengal
Years2:1967–1969
Clubs2:Gorkha Brigade
Years3:1971–1974
Clubs3:Mafatlal Mills
Years4:1975–1976
Clubs4:East Bengal
Years5:1977–1982
Clubs5:Mohun Bagan
Nationalyears1:1970–1977
Nationalteam1:India
Manageryears1:1985–1988
Managerclubs1:East Bengal
Manageryears2:1990
Managerclubs2:East Bengal
Manageryears3:2006–2007
Managerclubs3:Nepal

Shyam Thapa is a retired Indian footballer who played for the India national football team and was the bronze-medallist at the 1970 Asian Games.[2] He later went on to manage the Nepal national football team.[3]

Coached by P. K. Banerjee, Thapa became one of the finest and aggressive strikers of the country during the 1970s, known for his bicycle-kicks.[4] [5] [6]

Playing career

Shyam Thapa was first discovered when he scored the match winner for Gorkha Military Higher Secondary School (HSS) against Anjuman Islam Higher secondary school, Mumbai in the 1964 Subroto Mukherjee Cup final. The East Bengal supremo Jyotish Chandra Guha, who had a good eye for talent, signed him for the 1966 season.[7] Shyam made a memorable debut as a precocious 18-year-old in the 1966 Calcutta Football League, scoring a hat-trick against Rajasthan Club. Afterwards, he returned to Gorkha Brigade and played for them from 1967–1969.[7] Thapa later participated in the prestigious Merchant's Cup, hosted by Calcutta Cricket and Football Club.[8] [9]

His finest hour came in the 1969 Durand final when he scored an opportunistic match winner in the reply against redoubtable Border Security Force (BSF). General Maneckshaw witnessed that match and invited the entire Gorkha Brigade team for a party the next day. At that party, Shyam requested Maneckshaw, who became a Field Marshal later, to release him from the army so that he could pursue his career as a professional. The General agreed and Shyam Thapa joined East Bengal again in 1970.[10]

In 1970, Thapa helped India win bronze medal in Merdeka tournament. In that year, he won bronze at the Bangkok Asian Games, with P. K. Banerjee managed and Syed Nayeemuddin captained team.[11] [12] [13] He scored in India's 3–0 win over Indonesia in the 1970 Asian Games and also in the 3–1 win over Malaysia in the Merdeka tournament.[14] That year, East Bengal played in the 4–2–4 system and their quintet of forwards Swapan Sengupta, Ashok Chatterjee, Mohammed Habib and Shyam Thapa were all short-statured but explosive, skilful and a delight to watch with their flair and incessant attacking play. They were brilliant in the Durand tournament which East Bengal won by easily overcoming RAC Bikaner, Sikh Regimental Centre (SRC) Meerut, Mafatlal Mills and Mohun Bagan 2–0 in the final.

Shyam Thapa's career, however, suffered a setback. His family was worried about the increasing Naxalite violence in Kolkata and asked him to leave. He took a transfer to Mafatlal Mills, Bombay and linked up with former Gorkha Brigade players like Ranjit Thapa, Bhupender Singh Rawat and Amar Bahadur. He stayed with Mafatlal Mills from 1971–74.

However, he soon rejoined East Bengal in 1975. He was by then an established superstar and had a memorable 1975–76 season.[15] Coached by P. K. Banerjee, East Bengal won the Kolkata league for a record sixth year in a row and in the IFA Shield final routed eternal rivals Mohun Bagan 5–0, a record score in a final.[16] [17] [18] Shyam scored some memorable goals for East Bengal in those two years.

He became India's most sought after player and in the 1977–78 season, Mohun Bagan paid a record fee of Rs. 50,000 for his services. He was the highest paid player in India that year and helped Bagan win a historic treble – IFA Shield, Rovers Cup and Durand tournament, in a single season and his brilliant goal against rivals East Bengal in an IFA league match with a back volley is still remembered. It was the first time Bagan achieved this feat. In the Durand Cup final, he scored the equalizer against JCT, darting onto a rebound from goalkeeper Surjeet Singh and bulging the net. In the replay, he set up the match winner for Mohammed Akbar.

From 1977–1980, he figured in four consecutive Durand finals for Mohun Bagan winning in 1977, 1979 and 1980 and losing 0–3 to East Bengal in the 1978 final. During the same period, Mohun Bagan also won the IFA Shield thrice in a row, 1977–79 and the Rovers Cup in 1977. From 1970–77, he was a regular in the Indian team. He played as striker in Mohun Bagan's historic match against a star-studded New York Cosmos spearheaded by Pelé on 24 September 1977,[19] in which both the teams shared honours as the match ended 2–2.[20] Under P. K. Banerjee's guidance, their performance against the American club featuring Pelé, Carlos Alberto Torres and Giorgio Chinaglia, earned popularity worldwide.[21]

However, after the 1978 Srinagar National championships, he was surprisingly omitted from the list of probables for the 1978 Asian Games. The national selectors claimed that he was slowing down and would not be able to cope with the rigours of international football. There was a major hue and cry in the national media at Shyam's unfair omission.

Thapa also represented Services football team in Santosh Trophy.[22]

Retirement and post football life

Reacting to the media criticism, Field Marshal Sam Maneckshaw, boss of the All India Council of Sports (AICS) intervened and invited Shyam to join the training camp being held in Patiala. However he announced his retirement from international football. Being denied the captaincy of the Indian team in the 1978 Asian Games has been Shyam's biggest disappointment in his otherwise glittering career.[7]

After his playing career was over, he was technical director at the Williamson Magor Academy in Assam which later closed down and later at the Tata Football Academy. Such is Shyam Thapa's fame that Nepal called him to revamp their football system in the 21st century and he was there in the first decade of the 21st century.[7] He also managed East Bengal Club in the late 1980s.[23] He later served as the chairman of All India Football Federation technical committee, before AIFF faced suspension from the FIFA.[24] Thapa is also a member of the CC&FC, and felicitated by the club, which is Asia's oldest sports club founded in the late 18th century.[25]

Honours and achievements

India

Services

East Bengal

1970, 1975

Mohun Bagan

1978–79, 1980–81

Individual

2014 (by the Government of West Bengal)[29]

Bibliography

See also

Further reading

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Legends Of Indian Football : Shyam Thapa. thehardtackle.com. The Hard Tackle. Somnath. Sengupta. 30 January 2012. 2 July 2022. 14 October 2020. https://archive.today/20201014035047/http://www.thehardtackle.com/2012/legends-of-indian-football-shyam-thapa/#:~:text=Born%20in%201948%20in%20Gulmi,club%20brought%20two%20young%20players..
  2. News: "Lack of Focus on Youth Development Is The Biggest Problem of Indian Football" – Arun Ghosh (Exclusive Interview). 23 August 2013. 26 August 2022. thehardtackle.com. The Hard Tackle. Somnath. Sengupta. Aindrila. Ghosh. Bhaktimoy. Sengupta. Kolkata. https://web.archive.org/web/20220127020642/http://www.thehardtackle.com/2013/lack-of-focus-on-youth-development-is-biggest-problem-of-indian-football-arun-ghosh-exclusive-interview/. 27 January 2022.
  3. Web site: Shyam Thapa – Indian football legend. Sportskeeda. Kapadia. Novy. 7 September 2015. 9 August 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150809092556/http://www.sportskeeda.com/football/shyam-thapa-indian-football-legend. live.
  4. Web site: Sengupta. Somnath. Tactical Evolution of Indian Football (Part Three): PK Banerjee – Amal Dutta – Nayeemuddin. Kolkata. 13 July 2011. 2021-03-16. thehardtackle.com. The Hard Tackle. en-US. 14 July 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20110714062345/http://www.thehardtackle.com/2011/tactical-evolution-of-indian-football-part-three-pk-banerjee-amal-dutta-nayeemuddin/.
  5. Web site: Football — the passion play in Kolkata. https://web.archive.org/web/20120111155154/http://ibnlive.in.com/news/football--the-passion-play-in-kolkata/211371-55.html. dead. 11 January 2012. ibnlive.in. IBN Live. 13 December 2011. 11 August 2014.
  6. Web site: Saikat Sarkar Wonder Goal: শ্যাম থাপার স্মৃতি ফেরালেন কল্যাণীর সৈকত, বিস্ময় গোলের ঘোর কাটছে না ময়দানে!. etvbharat.com. ETV Bharat News. Kolkata. Saikat Sarkar Wonder Goal: Shyam Thapa brought back the memory of Kalyani beach, wonder goal is not cut in the field!. 19 July 2023. 28 November 2023. bn. https://web.archive.org/web/20231229180155/https://www.etvbharat.com/bengali/west-bengal/sports/other-sports/aryans-saikat-sarkar-scored-a-magnificent-goal-in-cfl-2023/wb20230719174547278278638. 29 December 2023.
  7. Web site: Legends Of Indian Football : Shyam Thapa. www.thehardtackle.com. The Hard Tackle. 30 January 2012. 2 July 2022. Somnath. Sengupta. https://web.archive.org/web/20201014163822/http://www.thehardtackle.com/2012/legends-of-indian-football-shyam-thapa/. 14 October 2020.
  8. Web site: Sport, interrupted: After 228 years, Kolkata's storied CC&FC laid low by lockdown. 3 July 2020. 26 November 2022. ESPN.com. Susan. Ninan. 11 June 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230611061030/https://www.espn.in/espn/story/_/id/29360715/sport-interrupted-228-years-kolkata-storied-ccfc-laid-low-lockdown?platform=amp.
  9. Web site: Calcutta Cricket & Football Club – 19/1, Gurusaday Road, Kolkata 19th Annual Reports 2021–22. ccfc1792.com. 31 October 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230604170605/https://www.ccfc1792.com/pdf/CCFC-Annual-Report-2022.pdf. 4 June 2023.
  10. Web site: Tactician, motivator, visionary: Indian football legend PK Banerjee's pupils recall his greatness. Press Trust of India. Scroll.in. en-US. 2020-05-07. 18 April 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200418211044/https://scroll.in/field/956782/tactician-motivator-visionary-indian-football-legend-pk-banerjee-s-pupils-recall-his-greatness. live.
  11. Web site: Indian football's finest: 50 years on, remembering the stars of 1970 Asian Games bronze-winning team. www.scroll.in. Scroll. Jaydeep. Basu. 27 February 2022. 3 February 2020. 24 March 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220324024824/https://scroll.in/field/951976/indian-footballs-finest-50-years-on-remembering-the-stars-of-1970-asian-games-bronze-winning-team.
  12. Web site: The Indian Senior Team at the 1970 Bangkok Asian Games. IndianFootball.de. Arunava. Chaudhuri. 23 November 2021. 2 October 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20111002162324/http://www.indianfootball.de/specials/india/indianteam/1970asiangames.html. dead.
  13. Web site: Ghoshal. Amoy. Indian football team at the Asian Games: 1970 Bangkok. www.sportskeeda.com. Sportskeeda. 26 August 2014. 10 July 2018. 10 July 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180710195150/https://www.sportskeeda.com/football/indian-football-team-at-the-asian-games-1970-bangkok.
  14. Web site: RSSSF. Asian Games 1970. Garin, Erik; Jovanovic, Bojan; and Morrison, Neil. 29 February 2012. 15 May 2019. 21 November 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20081121044633/http://www.rsssf.com/tablesa/asgames70.html. live.
  15. Web site: Shoubhik. Mukhopadhyay. East Bengal & Calcutta Football League: A Sublime Romantic Saga - Hero I-League. 10 September 2015. 25 September 2019. i-league.org. I-League. https://web.archive.org/web/20190925033144/https://i-league.org/east-bengal-calcutta-football-league-a-sublime-romantic-saga/. 25 September 2019.
  16. Web site: The real meaning of the Kolkata Derby. 2017-02-13. Economic Times Blog. en-US. 2020-01-12. 11 December 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20191211113134/https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/blogs/flavours-of-kolkata/the-real-meaning-of-the-kolkata-derby/.
  17. Web site: 100 years of Kolkata derby. 19 February 2021 . 4 May 2021. 4 May 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210504142826/https://sportstar.thehindu.com/football/isl/kolkata-derby-100-years-of-passion-perseverance-and-emotion/article33880520.ece.
  18. Web site: Kolkata derby history. 4 May 2021. 4 May 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210504144330/https://www.indiansuperleague.com/features/how-kolkata-derby-came-into-being-and-what-it-means-to-the-inhabitants-of-the-city.
  19. Web site: Andrew Flint . 2015-11-11 . A Tale of One City: Kolkata . 2021-03-16 . These Football Times . en-GB . 9 July 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210709183002/https://thesefootballtimes.co/2015/11/11/a-tale-of-one-city-kolkata/ .
  20. Web site: Mohun Bagan to felicitate Subrata Bhattacharya and Prasun Banerjee on 29th July - McDowell's Mohun Bagan - News Mohun Bagan News . 20 August 2014 . 21 August 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140821200107/http://www.mohunbaganac.com/news-detail/mohun-bagan-to-felicitate-subrata-bhattacharya-and-prasun-banerjee-on-29th- . dead .
  21. Web site: Memorable performances and historical match against Pele: 1965–1977. Sabuj Maroon Swapno. 21 November 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20120809085434/http://www.sabujmaroonswapno.com/smsweb/clubhistory.php?x=1965-1977. 9 August 2012. dead.
  22. Web site: Legends of Indian Football : Peter Thangaraj. 14 May 2018. 7 October 2022. Somnath. Sengupta. thehardtackle.com. The Hard Tackle. Mumbai. https://web.archive.org/web/20210413164430/https://thehardtackle.com/2012/legends-of-indian-football-peter-thangaraj/. 13 April 2021.
  23. Web site: Gautam. Roy. Swapan. Ball. 2007. East Bengal Football Club – Famous Players. 25 February 2009. www.eastbengalfootballclub.com. https://web.archive.org/web/20090221072439/http://www.eastbengalfootballclub.com/club/famousPlayers4.asp. 21 February 2009.
  24. Web site: PK Banerjee was my godfather: Shyam Thapa - Times of India. The Times of India. 2020-05-07. 19 July 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200719104125/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/football/top-stories/pk-banerjee-was-my-godfather-shyam-thapa/articleshow/74732420.cms. live.
  25. Web site: CCFC − 225 AND STILL COUNTING. Reshmi. Bose. wotweb.com. Window On Travel. Kolkata. 26 November 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20230610165806/http://wotweb.com/wot-article/ccfc-%E2%88%92-225-still-counting/. 10 June 2023.
  26. Web site: Indian Football Down the Years: Looking back at the glorious moments. AIFF. Media Team. www.the-aiff.com. All India Football Federation. en. New Delhi. 15 August 2022. 20 October 2022. 21 September 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220921011335/https://www.the-aiff.com/article/indian-football-down-the-years-looking-back-at-the-glorious-moments.
  27. Web site: The Indian Senior Team at the 1970 Merdeka Cup . indiafootball.de . Arunava . Chaudhuri . 2003 . IndiaFootball . 30 September 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160819214747/http://indianfootball.de/specials/india/indianteam/1970merdekacup.html . 19 August 2016 . dead .
  28. Web site: Arunava. Chaudhuri. The Indian Senior Team at the 1971 Singapore Pesta Sukan Cup. indianfootball.de. 2000. 1 October 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20160819214722/http://www.indianfootball.de/specials/india/indianteam/1971pestasukancup.html. 19 August 2016. dead.
  29. News: State government to confer Banga awards on May 20. Staff Reporter. The Hindu. 18 May 2014. www.thehindu.com. 17 August 2020. 14 January 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200114214445/https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-otherstates/state-government-to-confer-banga-awards-on-may-20/article6021369.ece.
  30. Web site: Former India player Shyam Thapa to be conferred with Mohun Bagan Ratna. 7 July 2022. 9 July 2022. timesofindia.indiatimes.com. The Times of India. Kolkata, West Bengal. https://web.archive.org/web/20220709140914/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/football/top-stories/former-india-player-shyam-thapa-to-be-conferred-with-mohun-bagan-ratna/articleshow/92730814.cms?from=mdr. 9 July 2022. live.
  31. Web site: Mohun Bagan Day Awardees. Joy. Banerjee. footballjunction.in. Football Junction. Kolkata. 8 July 2022. 21 October 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20221021110337/https://footballjunction.in/mohun-bagan-day-awardees/. 21 October 2022.
  32. Web site: 'পেলের বিরুদ্ধে খেলার জন্যই ইস্টবেঙ্গল ছেড়ে মোহনবাগানে গিয়েছিলাম', বাগান রত্ন সম্মানে আপ্লুত শ্যাম থাপা. bn. 'Leaved East Bengal to Mohun Bagan to play against Pele', Shyam Thapa elated at Bagan Ratna honor. Dipankar. Ghoshal. tv9bangla.com. TV9 Bangla Digital. Kolkata. 7 July 2022. 21 October 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20230513073846/https://tv9bangla.com/sports/football/exclusive-interview-of-legendary-indian-footballer-shyam-thapa-au65-599473.html. 13 May 2023.
  33. Web site: Shyam Thapa wins Lifetime Achievement Award at Sportstar Aces 2023. 27 February 2023. sportstar.thehindu.com. Sportstar. 28 February 2023. Mumbai. https://web.archive.org/web/20230306201807/https://sportstar.thehindu.com/aces-awards/shyam-thapa-lifetime-achievement-award-sportstar-aces-2023-india-football-east-bengal-mohun-bagan/article66559076.ece. 6 March 2023.

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