Playing for a prime European membership is a dream too good to be true for a number of prime Indian footballers of in the present day. But this legend as soon as stunningly rejected the chance to play for Premier League large Arsenal.
This nationwide hero led a bunch of proficient gamers who had only recently change into the residents of a free nation, and made certain they stood shoulder-to-shoulder with gamers from wealthy European nations and their erstwhile colonial rulers. He was the captain of the legendary crew behind essentially the most well-known story of Indian soccer. He reached nice heights and left Europe footballing powerhouses in awe, with certainly one of them, Premier League large Arsenal FC even trying to signal him. But the towering defender rejected it and selected to hand over a promising profession halfway to fulfil his father’s final want. The biopic deserving story belongs to a person who hardly ever comes up in conversations of even essentially the most ardent Indian soccer followers: Talimeren Ao.
In the seven many years since he scripted the inspiring journey, he has been remembered and talked about in archives with quite a lot of spellings: T Aao, Tay Ao and Dr Tay. According to his household, his full identify is Subongwati Talimeren Ningdangri. His passport talked about him as Talimeren Aao. He was the flag bearer of impartial India’s first Olympic contingent on the 1948 Olympic Games in London. He performed for and captained the Mohun Bagan FC crew and the Indian crew well-known for enjoying with out soccer boots. When requested about it by the media, T Ao gave the well-known reply, “It is football, not boot ball.”
Talimeren started as a ahead however transformed right into a midfielder and later defender aided by his sturdy physique and 5’ 10” peak. He performed for Mohun Bagan between 1943 and 1952. Besides the Olympics, he additionally led the Indian crew to a tour of the Netherlands the place they famously beat legendary membership Ajax Amsterdam 5-2. As the Indian captain he as soon as left an English supervisor red-faced, beating his crew after he had stated he would eat his hat if it occurs. He refused to converse till the embarrassed supervisor “ate his hat”.
From beginning out enjoying soccer with a ball made from waste material items and pomelo fruit, he earned an offer to settle within the UK and play for one of many largest soccer golf equipment on the planet. But legend has it that Talimeren rejected it with out remorse to full his medical research on the Carmichael Medical College, now recognized as RG Kar Medical College. Talimeren graduated as an MBBS diploma in 1950 and left the assured stardom soccer provided him and have become a civil surgeon in Kohima in 1953.
He was fulfilling the final want of his father Reverend Subongwati Ningdari who needed his son to serve his individuals as a health care provider. He confirmed beautiful loyalty to his medical oath by treating either side throughout the Naga insurgency within the Seventies. He reportedly determined in opposition to becoming a member of the Indian Army medical corps as that will not assure that he can be stationed in Nagaland. Talimeren retired in 1978. He was Director of Health Services of Nagaland on the time.
The legendary footballer misplaced someplace in historical past married Deikim Doungel, a nurse who he met whereas working on the Kohima Civil Hospital. The couple had 4 youngsters. Talimeren handed away in 1998 on the age of 80. Today, there are two stadiums in his identify, one in Guwahati and one other in Kaliabor. There are two soccer tournaments hosted in his reminiscence. He was honoured with a commemorative postage stamp in 2018.
