Ilyas Pasha: Gentleman footballer who became a East Bengal giant

Bengaluru: Ilyas Pasha, one of Karnataka’s finest footballers who had a decorated career with East Bengal at right wing-back and went on earn eight caps with the Indian team, passed away on Thursday morning at his residence here following a prolonged battle with cancer.

Known for his gentlemanly conduct on and off the field and helping any person who reached out to him, especially State footballers who moved to Kolkata, the then epicentre of Indian football, the 61-year-old Pasha’s ascension to the top was swift and sustained.

After starting with Vinayaka Football Club at Vyalikaval where he grew up and lived until he breathed his last, Pasha was soon picked by the Indian Telephone Industries – one of the major teams in the state – in the mid-1980s. His well-judged tackles, composed defending, astute reading of the game and ability to deliver pinpoint crosses when on the attack instantly attracted the attention of the national selectors.

He earned his first national call-up against Bulgaria in the Nehru Cup in Kozhikode on January 27, 1987. He featured in another edition of the Nehru Cup in 1991, played SAF Games the same year and the 1992 Asian Cup Qualifiers.

His performances with the Blue Tigers saw several Kolkata clubs vie for his signature, and Mohammedan Sporting were the first to have it, where he won the Sait Nagjee Trophy and the Nizam Gold Cup in 1989. It was then just a matter of time before the two giants – East Bengal and Mohun Bagan – would poach him.

East Bengal roped him in the early 1990s, and Pasha oversaw an extremely successful reign that’s still spoken about highly amongst the old-timers. Apart from captaining the Red and Gold Brigade in 1993-94 under the late great coach Subhas Bhowmick, Pasha stacked up one title after another.

He won the fiercely-fought Calcutta Football League on five occasions (1991, 1993, 1995, 1996 and 1998), the IFA Shield five times (1990, 1991, 1994, 1995 and 1997) and the Durand Cup four times (1990, 1991, 1993 and 1995).

Accolades followed in other events as well -- two Rovers Cups (1990, 1994), the Federation Cup (1996), the historic Wai Wai Cup in Kathmandu (1993), Airlines Trophy titles in 1990, 1992, 1995 and 1997, the Bordoloi Trophy (1992), ATPA Shield (1992), Kalinga Cup (1993), McDowell Trophy (1995, 1997) and the Super Cup in the 1996-97 season. East Bengal bestowed Pasha with the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012.

Given the magic he could produce at will, he was constantly courted by Bagan, but Pasha remained committed to East Bengal, often rejecting lucrative offers. “Pasha sir had several offers, but he knew the huge amount of respect and adulation he had in East Bengal. He chose loyalty,” his former team-mate Saravanan told DH.

“I joined East Bengal and Pasha took care of me like his little brother. As I started to make an impression in Kolkata, I too got several offers but Pasha sir advised me to stay in EB because I was always in the playing XI. Being a regular starter is more important than extra bucks.

“Also, we were room-mates for five years and he was one most disciplined players I’ve seen. Sir would take me around the city and later bought me a bike, a Yamaha RX 100. He was gentle and generous to the core.”

After hanging up his boots, Pasha -- who is survived by his wife, two daughters and two sons – led a quiet retired life, true to his personality.