The Hassimdeens – their talents were extraordinary
Their individual talents were extraordinary! Their collective performance brilliant! Their names were synonymous with the sport for more than a couple of decades! The Hassimdeen brothers of Slave Island fame had indeed no equals at representative level in any branch of the sport in the long and chequered history of recreation in this country.
Each one of them had been rigorously and relentlessly tested by truly international opposition, both on our soil and abroad, and each time they came off with quality performance which make present day national exploits in football look naïve or simply pedestrian.
Born to Mohamed Hassimdeen – a towering and tough Police Constable in the Dowbiggin days, and to that graceful lady, Janna Junus, the four illustrious footballing sons spanned an entire era with their ball wizardry and sporting excellence which is talked about even today with nostalgic memories.
Naheem Hassimdeen
Naheem, the eldest, shone at a tender age, playing for Anderson College and Newnham playground. Later, he donned the blue jersey of both Victory SC and the Police SC. He held the local scene spell-bound as a speedy right winger. In the Police team, he held his own amongst such stars like Roy, Meedin, Fareed, Dias, Samidon, Scott and J. Deen. In 1949, Naheem wore the National Colours against the champion Indian outfit, Jinna Gymkhana, and thereafter, held his position almost unchanged for a number of years. He played alongside such great exponents of the game as Munna, Basheer Ahamad, T.H. Noor, T.J. Azeez, Chelliah, Abid and the rest with equal versatility. Naheem was also a brilliant boxer, athlete and a ruggerite during his days.
Muzzamil Hassimdeen
Came the second Prodigy Muzzamil Hassimdeen – the greatest of them all. Both at school and club level, he had no equals. At national level, he was matchless. In international competitions, he was simply peerless. Commonly called Muzzamil, he was popularly tagged the “Prince of Goalkeeper”. At the Asian Quadrangular Tournament in 1955, he was voted “Asia’s Best Goal Keeper”. Literally, he was doing aerobatics between the posts, and to get past him was like piercing the Rock of Gibraltar! Champion 1st Division European Clubs who visited us from Switzerland, Germany, Brazil, Russia and Yugoslavia hailed him as a truly world class keeper. A picture of physical fitness and technical perfection, Muzzamil was a glut for hard and heavy training, the like of which we cannot witnessed today.
Perhaps many of us are unaware that this affable and amiable sportsman holds a unique world record. He captained the national football team both as Goal keeper and Full Back in two international matches and won in both instances. This was in 1964, when he led then Ceylon against Pakistan (as Goalkeeper) and against Swiss Red Star FC (as Full Back). He was also the first from our soil to have been invited to play for a foreign team, when in 1961 and 1962 he represented the champion Indian State Football team, Mysore, in its Far Eastern tour, and the champion club of Pakistan, Mohammedan Sporting, respectively. While the late Sri Pundit Nehru was a great admirer of his, the former President of Pakistan, Field Marshall Ayub Khan was one of his very personal friends.
Muzzamil perhaps would have got world billing if not for a fateful decision he made in 1961. Having heard of his prowess from many foreign teams, Manager Catterick, of Everton FC, Offered him a “try out” with this famous English 1st Division club. But, to the utter dismay and disbelief of all his friends and admirers, Muzzamil made the shocking decision to decline the invitation. His love and desire to perform on his home soil and amongst his innumerable admires was too much for him to part with. Thus ended a seemingly sure international career. His versatility at many other sports was infinitely natural. Both at basketball and athletics, he strode like a colossus. For many years, he was the Mercantile 800 metres Athletic champion, with a graceful stride of a black stallion. Muzzamil’s achievement even briefly needs a volume to complete. His was indeed the greatest achievement in the annals of local football. Sadly, he is no more, but memories of his feats will linger for many more years to come.
Subhani Hassimdeen
Third in the illustrious line is Subhani Hassimdeen. He too like his elder brothers, showed glimpses of excellence from a very young age. Represented Newnham playground at the age of 8 and played for Zahira College Colombo, the Kings of Schools’ football, at the age of 14, he blossomed out as a very penetrative and deceptive wing forward, playing for 1st Division clubs, Eleven Youngsters FC, Black Square FC and Victory FC. In the “Ran Pandu” football festival in 1974, he was voted the best footballer amongst local stars. Subhani joined the RCyAF in 1965 and helped the Air Force to win the Inter-Services Championship for the first time. He later joined Wellawatta Spinning and Weaving Mills and skippered the Mills team in 1970 to 1971 to be unbeaten on the League and Knockout champions tournament conducted by the Mercantile League, Captaining the latter in 1970 and 1971. His outstanding brand of soccer made him an automatic choice for the national team from 1965 to 1975, where apart from playing against foreign teams at home, he toured over 30 countries in Asia and Europe. He played a vital role in helping to win the runner-up trophy at the Agha Khan Gold Cup tournament in 1968, which incidentally was the first trophy won by Sri Lanka for Football in a top drawer competition. Subhani also helped Sri Lanka to be unbeaten champions for the first time at the Southern Quadrangular Football tournament in 1970. And enter the final of the Vittal Trophy competition in India 1975. A very talented footballer to excel equally on both wings.
Subhani played against a variety of European and Asian teams with a touch of class. He matched his talents and wits with some of the best players from foreign clubs like Nurenburg FC, Essen SC, Pallenburg FC and SC Wacker 04 of Germany, Macabl FC of Israel, Dallas Tornado of the USA, Zalgaris and Moscow Dynamos of Russia, Manchester City and Southampton FC of England. Like the rest of his brothers he was a sportsman of varied talent. For many years he shone in Mercantile Athletics, Represented Newnham playground at basketball and also represented Havelock Bambaras at rugger in 1971.
On quitting the active side of playing soccer Subhani served the cause of the game he loved as a national selector. Coached the National youth teams, the Olympic squad and the Senior National team from 1995 to 2000. As a Director – Youth Football Development of the FSSL he introduced a project involving 600 schools in the island, for boys of under 12 years, in 2000 with the aim of developing soccer from the grass-root level. He successfully coached top class, local clubs in the calibre of Red Stars, XI Youngster, Pettah United, Ratnam, Java Lane, Maligawatte Youth, Sri Lanka Army, Colombo FC to name a few.
Farook Hassimdeen
The last of the foursome, Farook Hassimdeen, quit representative football only recently. Farook too, came into early reckoning at 
Zahira College as a wing forward like his immediate elder Subhani, he too, fitted equally well on both wings. Playing for Black Square FC and latter for Victory SC, young Farook dominated the local scene as a crafty and delightful career. His deception with the ball, and the ability to float the ball to the center from either wing, made him an automatic choice for the national team. Winning his representative colours in 1976, Farook was in the National Football Team regularly till 1984. Physically smaller than his elder brothers, yet a lion-hearted player who never gave up trying to the end even amidst severe odds. Very natural, flexible and flamboyant, Farook was a treat to watch. He too, excelled at basketball and athletics. He underwent football training as a coach in Brazil.
To the best of my knowledge the achievement of the Hassimdeen brothers are unparallel in our nation’s sporting history. Their contribution both individually and collectively to football in this country, has been tremendous. It is sad but true, we have failed to recognise their individual services. In particular Muzzamil Hassimdeen who reached the pinnacles of greatness as Asia’s greatest Goalkeeper. And we have also failed to utilize their knowledge and talent for the development of football in this country.