Subhani Hassimdeen
Subhani Hassimdeen (died 24 November 2023) was a Sri Lankan footballer and coach. He was considered as one of the finest players to have played for Sri Lanka national football team at international level. He was considered as one of the go-to reliable strikers during the time frame between 1965 and 1975.[1]
Biography[edit]
He was born in a family of four brothers. He pursued his primary education at Zahira College. He went onto represent Zahira College in both athletics and football.[2] He was born in a family of sports background as three of his brothers also played football representing Sri Lanka. The Hassimdeen family had four brothers - Naheem Hassimdeen, Muzzamil Hassimdeen and Farook Hassimdeen who went onto play top flight football at international level from 1951 to 1986 for record 35 successive years.[3][4][5]
Career[edit]
He donned the Sri Lankan national football team jersey in 1965. He played a vital pivotal role in helping Sri Lanka to secure famous triumph at the 1968 Agha Khan Gold Cup and it also marked the first instance where Sri Lanka won an overseas top-tier tournament in football.[3][6] He also captained the national side in 1972 at several international tournaments in Malaysia, Singapore and India. He was also a key member of Sri Lanka's famous tours to countries such as Israel, West Germany, England and Iran with his brother Muzammil Hassimdeen.[7] He was also instrumental in assisting Sri Lanka to win the 1970 Southern Quadrangular Football Tournament.[1]
His final international appearance in Sri Lankan colours came during the 1975 Vittal Memorial Trophy Tournament which was held in Tamil Nadu. He scored a match winning goal in the semi-finals of the 1975 Vittal Memorial Trophy Tournament which propelled Sri Lanka to the final. He also played club football playing against the top league foreign clubs including the likes of Nuremberg FC, Essen FC, Pallenberg, Manchester FC, Moscow Dynamo, Dallas Tornados and Macabi FC.[1]
After his retirement from playing career, he transformed into a full-time coach. He was the chief selector at the national level in 1988. He served as a member of the England Coaches Association from 2001 to 2004. He also followed many coaching courses conducted by FIFA and Asian Football Council.[1]
He was also a guest writer for the The Sunday Times newspaper, where he contributed as a football columnist for several years until his health conditions deteriorated due to the age factor.[8]
Death[edit]
He died on 25 November 2023 at the age of 77. His funeral was held on 25 November 2023 at the Jawatte Burial Ground in Colombo.[1]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c d e "Veteran footballer Subhani Hassimdeen no more". Print Edition - The Sunday Times, Sri Lanka. Retrieved 2023-12-24.
- ^ "Subhani Hassimdeen – A Legendary Player and Coach". Latest in the News Sphere | The Morning. 2023-11-26. Retrieved 2023-12-24.
- ^ a b malinga (2023-11-25). "Ex-Sri Lanka football great Hassimdeen laid to rest". Sunday Observer. Archived from the original on November 26, 2023. Retrieved 2023-12-24.
- ^ "Subhani a Football icon of Sri Lanka | The Sunday Times Sri Lanka". Retrieved 2023-12-24.
- ^ "The Hassimdeens – their talents were extraordinary | The Sundaytimes Sri Lanka". Retrieved 2023-12-24.
- ^ "Tribute to a great servant of Sri Lankan football". Retrieved 2023-12-24 – via PressReader.
- ^ "Subhani - a football icon of Sri Lanka". Retrieved 2023-12-24 – via PressReader.
- ^ "Four oldest surviving football clubs in the island | The Sundaytimes Sri Lanka". Retrieved 2023-12-24.