India started taking part in international competitions from 1948 onwards. Our performance in 1948 , 1956 and 1960 were par excellence. In Asian games we were champions in 1951 and 1962 , third in 1970 , fourth in 1958 and quarter finalist in 1982.
Till then only Indian coaches coached the Indian team and Indian players alone played in state league, national championship and other premier tournaments. International exposure was hardly once or twice a year.
The coaches who brought laurels were SA Rahim Saheb (My father , maximum achievements) , GMH baasha , S manna , M hussain and Mewalal . In 1982 PK bannerjee , Myself and Arun ghosh were the coaches and GMH baasha , J kittu and Ahmed hussain were technical director.
After 1982 india did not even reach the 3rd Round of asian games . Azeez , Noor , Thangaraj , Balaraman , All asian game goldmedalists and 4th place at 1956 olympics , were not given Padmashree but a fellow was given this award in whose time India did not reach quarter finals.
Moin , Zulfeqhar , PK bannerjee and a number of players must have scored more than thousands goals in there carrier but they did not play for records . Asking for bharay ratna or padmashree for an indian football player is a mockery .
We did not even play in last Asian games ISL and IL have put Indian football on death bed killing more than 125 year old tournaments like Durand Cup , Rovers cup , IFA shield and many great tournament like Nizam gold cup , Staffoid cup , Seth naag jee etc it is better people study history pf Indian football before making such absurd recommendations .