India made the first official international football game as a sovereign nation exactly 50 years earlier in July 31, 1948 at the Olympics in London, Cricklefield Stadium against the tough French team. The barefooted Indian side was known to be the team that played without shoes, which is quite an old tradition in domestic football, and it instilled awe and amazement in the minds of the audience who simply could not believe their eyes.
The First Goal of India in an International match
India did incredible fighting even though they missed two penalties. France prevailed 2-1 in the match and before it was over, Sarangapani Raman had scored the first ever goal of India in an international match, a moment that is remembered. Their stylish show attracted much acclaim; the British press reported that “The French had been put to it and even by the barefooted Indians!”. The dignitaries were so much impressed that king George VI was said to have lifted the trouser leg of Sailen Manna to make sure that he had not sprained his feet at the time he fired those mighty shots with bare feet.
The Golden Generation of Indian Football
This heroic first step became the basis of what some rate as the Golden Generation of Indian football that glittered in both regional and worldwide stages in the late 1940s and 1950s. However, four years later, at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics, India once again made history, this time reaching the semifinals, and also the first Asian country to do so, with Neville D Souza scoring 3 goals, hattrick against Australia. Even though the Indian football team failed to qualify to the FIFA World Cup a lot has been said about the missed opportunities yet the image of the 1948 match remains symbolic in nature; that of a young nation going barefoot yet not being cowed down to make their mark on the world. The scene has remained to awaken new eras and it remains one of the scenes that reminds one of the spirit of football amongst the Indians.
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