Azad Sporting Club

Azad Sporting Club 1953

Azad Sporting Club was formed in 1949 by Bengali writers and cultural organizers. Renowned artist Quamrul Hassan chose the colour and designed the club's kit. MA Kayum and Anwar Hossain were appointed as the club's president and General Secretary, respectively. They entered the Dhaka Second Division League and were promoted to the Dhaka League within two years after winning the Second Division, becoming joint champions with Fire Service SC in 1950.[1]

In 1951, the club entered the First Division, the Dhaka League, and were captained by Tofazzel Hossain. They finished runners-up in the top-tier in 1952, 1953 and 1954. The club was almost entirely made up of Bengali players, which was unlike most top-tier teams at the time who favoured Punjabi and Makrani players.

The club transformed with the appointment of General Secretary Saifuddin Ahmed as they won their first and only Dhaka League title in 1958.[2][3] With the club tied on points with Central Station & Printing Press after the initial league phase, Tajul Islam Manna scored a brace as Azad won the play-off game 3–2 to claim their maiden league title triumph. Manna was the league's top scorer that year with 25 goals. Alongside him, the other notable players in the team were captain Ranjit Das and winger Mari Chowdhury.[4]

Their title triumph saw them participate in the first edition of the Aga Khan Gold Cup in 1958.[note 1] The club were tagged as Giant Killers after the Independence of Bangladesh, nonetheless, were relegated to the Second Division in 1985. In 1998, their football department stopped functioning due to financial restraints.[5][6]

The most notable player to have represented the club is their all-time top scorer Tajul Islam Manna, who played for them from 1954 to 1963, scoring 77 league goals including 10 hat-tricks in the process.[7] The East Pakistani striker also represented the Pakistan national team in 1955, scoring the only goal of the game against India in a Non-FIFA Friendly.[8]

Other notable players include: Tarapda Roy, Ranjit Das, SA Jumman Mukta, Monwar Hossain Nannu, Shahidur Rahman Shantoo,[9] Anjam Hossain, Ehtesham, Salam Murshedy, Mari Chowdhury,[10] Elias Hossain[11] and Anwar Hossain.[12] Sheikh Monsur Ali Lalu who later played for the Shadhin Bangla Football Team also began his First Division career with the club.

• Dhaka League
  • Winners (1): 1958
• Dhaka Second Division League
  • Winners (1): 1950

• List of football clubs in Bangladesh
• History of football in Bangladesh

• Dulal, Mahmud (2014). পাকিস্তান জাতীয় দল বাঙালি খেলোয়াড় (transl. Bengali players in the Pakistan national team) (in Bengali). Bishhoshahitto Bhobon.
• Dulal, Mahmud (2020). খেলার মাঠে মুক্তিযুদ্ধ (transl. Liberation war in the playground) (in Bengali). Bishhoshahitto Bhobon. ISBN 978-984-8218-31-0.
• Golam, Sarwar Tipu (13 February 2006). "Organisers wake up". thedailystar.net. Archived from the original on 20 May 2023. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
• Arif, Mahbub (17 November 2015). "বাঙালির ফুটবল-সাফল্য এখন কেবলই স্মৃতি". u71news.com (in Bengali). Archived from the original on 6 April 2022. Retrieved 6 April 2022.
• Alam, Masud (2017). ফুটবলের গল্প ফুটবলারদের গল্প (transl. The story of football the story of footballers) (in Bengali). Bishhoshahitto Bhobon. ISBN 9789849134688.
• Desk, Blitz (29 April 2021). "Looking back into Bangladesh football in the 80s". weeklyblitz.net. Archived from the original on 20 May 2023. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
• Mahmud, Noman (2018). ফুটবল পায়ে মুক্তির যুদ্ধ (transl. Liberation war fought by football) (in Bengali). Agamee Prakashani. ISBN 978-984-8218-31-0.
• Hossain, Dr.Akhtar (18 February 2019). "Dhaka Football League: Days of Glory". daily-sun.com. Archived from the original on 20 May 2023. Retrieved 21 May 2023.

• Azad Sporting Club at National-Football-Teams.com