India has long been known for its success in sports, with the country producing some of the world’s finest players of all time. However, there are some sportsmen whom people may not have come across much for some reason. Below are some players who have made a mark for themselves but have not been hyped about much.
Footballer Bir Bahadur
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Known as the ‘Forward Cheetah’, Bir Bahadur was an exceptional footballer who played for India in the 1966 Bangkok Asiad. He was a fantastic dribbler and displayed remarkable skills. Bahadur began his career at the age of 14 years and started by playing for his school team. Subsequently, he joined the army and played there.
He had been actively involved in National matches as well as International ones. A memorable achievement was when he scored a hat-trick against Denmark in the game played at the Lal Bahadur Stadium. During his time, his consistently outstanding performance was highly appreciated by fans. Yet, somehow, he never achieved the fame he deserved.
Carrom player A. Maria Irudayam
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Irudayam is known to be a skilful carom player who has not only won the Indian National Championship several times; he has also conquered the World Carrom Championships twice. Irudayam has the honor of being the only champion to have received the Arjuna Award from the Indian government.
During his career, he was an instrumental player to the Indian team and never failed to bring glory to the country. He was said to have attained one of the top three sports in every competition he participated in.
Cricketer Mohammad Nissar
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Of course, what is India without cricket? Nissar played cricket for India during the pre-India independence time and was regarded as of the fastest bowlers worldwide. He was also the first player to score a wicket for India in International matches in 1932. This was then India was touring England.
He was even known for outshining the Australian team that was said to be wary of Nassir’s skills in cricket. During the historical partition in 1947, Nassir moved to Pakistan and is now fondly adored as the first cricket player of Pakistan. He is also one of the founding members of the Pakistan Cricket Board.
This list shows that even though some sportsmen may not be well-known, they have played well enough to show their mettle.