The 1963 Dhaka First Division Football League, was the 16th edition of the Dhaka First Division Football League following the partition of India. It was played from 15 May 1963 to 29 August 1963, with the venues being the Inner Stadium, Outer Stadium, and the Dacca Stadium. The league was won by Mohammedan Sporting, who finished with 42 points.
Overview
The 1963 Dhaka First Division Football League began on 15 May 1963 and ran till 29 August 1963, several players were imported from various regions, such as, Qayyum Changezi from Quetta signed with Dhaka Mohammedan, along with mid season additions of striker, Mohammed Rahmatullah, and Rafat Ali of Kolkata Mohammedan, due to the recruitment experience of official Amir Jang Ghaznavi. Dhaka Wanderers also signed Hanif, and Aslam of West Pakistan.
The league would be won by Dhaka Mohammedan Club, who had played 22 games, accumulated 42 points in total, with Qayyum Changezi finishing the top goal-scorer of the league with 27 goals to his name. With Dacca Wanderers and PWD finishing second and third respectively.
Controversy On 27 July 1963, Victoria Sporting Club announced their withdrawal from the First Division League, lodging a complaint to the East Pakistan Sports Federation, due to several factors regarding discrimination and unfair means. The club argued that:
Several of Victoria's players were treated with racial abuse and discrimination. Even proclaiming that the Pakistan Observer deliberately spread racial prejudice regarding their players, labelling the team as the "Makrani XI". The club tent was attacked on a regular basis on numerous occasions by fans on the Outer Stadium. Players of the club felt unsafe and concerned for their safety as bystanders would misbehave and call out slurs to them. Victoria's board of directors also argued that the rematch between Victoria and Mohammedan Sporting was deemed unnecessary and unfair, stating that it was a clear violation of international rules. The board also brought up how no action was taken on Nabi Chowdhury for misbehaving in a match between Victoria and Police. Yousuf Sr., a player of Victoria and Pakistan International, faced severe physical abuse, even being openly slapped in field of play.
The Pakistan Observer, fired back, stating that several of the statements given by the club were false, and that the club had used the East Pakistan Sports Federation, fans, and the daily itself as scapegoats. Mentioning that one of the club's players reportedly beat an almond seller after a drawn game between Victoria and PWD. The daily also wrote that promoting East Pakistani talent was far more of a better approach than importing and employing West Pakistani players. Denying any form of racism or discriminatory publishing.
Muhammad Umer, the captain of the team also came out and criticised the newspaper, stating that it deliberately labelled the team as a "Makrani XI" to stir up hatred among the two wings.
League table
Matches
A charity match was held between league champions Victoria and a selected combined XI of the rest, in aid of cyclone victims, the charity match raised a total amount of Rs. 10,000.
Teams Victoria: Ghulam Hussain, Khuda Bakhsh, Lal Muhammad Khamisa, Hussain Killer, Murad Bakhsh, Abdul Ghafoor, Abdullah Jr., Yousuf Jr., Muhammad Umer, Ghulam Abbas Baloch, Yousuf Sr.
Rest XI: Abdul Hakim, Zahirul Haque, Amin Baloch, Abid Hussain Ghazi, Abdul Gafur Baloch, Mobasher, Aslam, Ghani, Qayyum Changezi, Bashir Ahmed, Moosa Ghazi
Footnotes
References