New Delhi, March 8 – The All India Football Federation (AIFF) has expressed its condolences on the death of former India forward Syed Habibul Hasan Hameed, who passed away in Hyderabad on Friday. He is survived by his wife, daughter, and two sons.
Syed Habibul represented India once, at the 1964 AFC Asian Cup against Hong Kong in Tel Aviv, which India won 3-1. He was also a part of the Indian contingents in the 1960 Rome Olympics and the Pre-Olympic tournament in 1964.
AIFF President Kalyan Chaubey expressed his condolences in a statement released by the AIFF.
"Syed Habibul Hasan Hameed was a prolific forward in his time. His contributions to Indian Football will always be remembered with great respect. On behalf of the Indian football community, I extend my heartfelt condolences to his family, friends, and the entire football fraternity. May his soul rest in peace," said the AIFF president.
At the domestic level, he represented Hyderabad, Bengal, and Maharashtra in the Santosh Trophy, winning the tournament with the latter in 1963.
At the club level, Habibul Hasan Hameed represented City College Old Boys (Hyderabad), Mohammedan Sporting, East Bengal, and Tata Sports. He won the Aga Khan Gold Cup (1960), Dr. HK Mookherjee Shield (1960), and the DCM Trophy (1961) with Mohammedan Sporting, and the Rovers Cup (1962, jointly) with East Bengal.
During his prime, Andhra Pradesh was one of the top football centres in the country, producing top talents like Syed Nayeemuddin and Shabir Ali. It won the National Football Championship for the Santosh Trophy in 1965-66. Before that, the state, represented by Hyderabad on two titles in 1957 and 58, produced players like Sayed Khwaja Aziz-ud-Din, Muhammad Noor, Anthony Patrick, and Syed Shahid Hakim.