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Majid Bishkar

Majid Beshkar (Persian: مجید بیشکار; born (1956-08-06)6 August 1956) is a retired Iranian professional footballer. He is best known for his contributions towards the Indian football clubs East Bengal[1] and Mohammedan,[2][3] both based in the city of Kolkata, West Bengal. He was popularly known as "Badshah" in Calcutta Maidan.[4] An attacking midfielder, Bishkar also played as a forward in a 4–2–4 formation, and guided SC East Bengal to win the Indian Federation Cup in 1980. He represented the Iranian national football team at the 1978 FIFA World Cup in Argentina.[5][6][7][8]

Majid Beshkar
Beshkar at home in Khorramshahr in 2021
Personal information
Date of birth (1956-08-06) 6 August 1956 (age 68)
Place of birth Khorramshahr, Imperial State of Iran
Position(s) Attacking midfielder
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1976–1978 Rastakhiz Khorramshahr 34 (18)
1978–1979 Shahbaz 22 (14)
1979–1981 East Bengal 71 (62)
1982–1987 Mohammedan 115 (58)
1987 Mohammedan 13 (4)
Total 245 (156)
International career‡
1976–1978 Iran 2 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 09:55, 21 May 2019 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 09:55, 20 September 2008 (UTC)

Earlier career

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At club level, Majid began his career in his hometown of Khorramshahr with Rastakhiz FC and then moved to the Tehran Province League with Shahin Tehran FC as a forward, where he played until 1979.

Career in India

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During the 1970s he moved to Aligarh Muslim University in India to study.[9] On seeing his performance for the university in the North Zone Inter University championship, Bishkar was signed by East Bengal FC along with other Iranian players Jamshid Nassiri and Mahmud Khabbasi.[10][8][11][12] The 1980 Federation Cup was his debut tournament with the Red and Golds, where he won the tournament with them. In the same season, East Bengal also won the Rovers Cup where he played a key role.[13]

East Bengal signed him shortly afterwards. He was known as Majid Baskar in India, a mispronunciation and misspelling which led to difficulties for both Iranian and Indian officials in unveiling the true identity of Majid.[9]

Bishkar played imaginative football throughout and was primarily instrumental in East Bengal's winning the IFA Shield (joint winners) and Darjeeling Gold Cup. In the Shield final, he set up CB Thapa to score a magnificent goal after playing four wall-passes with others. At the Darjeeling Gold Cup too, he was unstoppable and was the main prop behind the Red and Golds 3–2 triumph over Mohun Bagan. Overall, Bishkar netted 33 goals for the Red and Gold brigade.

He switched to Mohammedan Sporting Club in 1982, guiding them to a range of trophies including Calcutta Football League and Rovers Cup.[14][15][16]

Majid was instrumental for the first win against Mohun Bagan AC in 1983 Federation Cup also helping to lift the trophy in the final. This win came after late sixties in any form of tournament. After a brief hiatus at a time when he was surrounded by controversies, he was last seen playing for Mohammedan SC in 1987. He was relatively unknown in Iran, with both Iranian football journalists and officials being unaware that Majid had previously plied his trade in India.[9] Due to troubles in his homeland, he eventually got addicted to narcotics and led a bohemian lifestyle. After a few other unsuccessful stints in other parts of India, he moved back to Iran. He is still considered one of the best foreigners in the history of Indian club football.[17] He has a nickname "Badshah" which he got while playing in Kolkata Maidan.[18][19]

Bishkar cast a magical spell during two seasons at East Bengal and then at Mohammedan Sporting, but as he returned to Kolkata in 2019, after more than three decades, nobody had forgotten the Badshah.

“When I landed in Kolkata and picked up my luggage, I was wondering who would guide me to the hotel at 3am. I saw a few East Bengal officials inside the airport and was happy. Then some police escorts showed up and I was happier. But what I saw as I stepped out of the airport was unbelievable.

Hundreds of East Bengal supporters wearing the team jersey and waving flags were shouting my name. They were eager to get a glimpse of me and kept saying ‘Badshah is here’. I rubbed my eyes in disbelief. I had left the city decades ago, yet they had not forgotten me”

Majid Bishkar, on his last trip to Kolkata in 2019.[20]

International career

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Bishkar was included in the Iran national football team for the 1978 FIFA World Cup.[21] Iran made its debut World Cup appearance after defeating Australia in Tehran. Iran lost two of three group stage matches against the Netherlands and Peru,[22] and Iran's journey ended early for the group stages.

Personal life

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After his brief stint with two Kolkata giants, Bishkar moved to Iran in the 1980s and currently live in Khorramshahr, Khuzestan Province, with his family. On 1 October 2020, he was admitted to a hospital after a heart attack.[23][24]

Honours

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East Bengal

Mohammedan Sporting

Individual

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Majid Bishkar: The 'Prince of Persia' who cast a spell with his magic". East Bengal Football Club official website. Archived from the original on 9 July 2021. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
  2. ^ Majid Bishkar visits Mohammedan Sporting. Kolkata Today. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
  3. ^ "Indian football: Fred Pugsley, Chima Okorie, Ranti Martins – the foreign strikers who shone in India". Scroll.in. 25 January 2021. Archived from the original on 14 May 2021. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
  4. ^ "East Bengal Football Club – Famous Players". www.eastbengalfootballclub.com. Archived from the original on 1 September 2009. Retrieved 25 February 2009.
  5. ^ Ved Sen (13 October 2014). "Long before the Indian Super League, there was an Iranian boy who mesmerized Kolkata". Quartz India. Archived from the original on 4 December 2020. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
  6. ^ KC McElroy (13 October 2014). "Former Iranian international Majid Bishkar". www.persianfootball.com. Archived from the original on 5 April 2019. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
  7. ^ Sengupta, Somnath (9 November 2018). "Majid Bishkar And Jamshid Nassiri : Indian Football's Iconic Iranian Duo". Goalden Times. Archived from the original on 14 December 2020. Retrieved 26 June 2021.
  8. ^ a b Banerjee, Ritabrata (16 May 2020). "Indian Football - The 10 best foreigners to have played for East Bengal". Goal. Archived from the original on 14 February 2021. Retrieved 27 June 2021.
  9. ^ a b c Mohammad Amin-ul Islam (15 January 2011). "Iranians stumped by Majid's India link". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 3 January 2013. Retrieved 4 September 2012.
  10. ^ Kamath, Sooraj. "Father-son duo to have graced Indian football | Goal.com". Goal.com. Archived from the original on 24 April 2020. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
  11. ^ soumen78 (31 March 2016). "List of Foreign Players to Play for East Bengal Club from 1942 – East Bengal Club, India – Records, Funs and Facts". Eastbengalclubrecords.wordpress.com. Archived from the original on 19 October 2018. Retrieved 18 December 2018.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  12. ^ Banerjie, Indranil (15 May 1985). "Money, violence and politics enter Calcutta football". India Today. Kolkata. Archived from the original on 1 April 2023. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
  13. ^ "ময়দানের দেবদাস". www.anandabazar.com (in Bengali). Archived from the original on 2 July 2021. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
  14. ^ "Mohammedan Sporting felicitate Majid Bishkar". Khel Now. Archived from the original on 9 July 2021. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
  15. ^ "The Prince of Persia returns: Majid Bishkar comes back to rekindle maidan memories". Indianexpress.com. 13 August 2019. Archived from the original on 9 July 2021. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
  16. ^ Marar, Nandakumar (15 August 2019). "Majid was like a god on the pitch, says Brahmanand". Sportstar. Archived from the original on 7 January 2021. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
  17. ^ "High Five: Best Foreigners in Indian Football". The Hard Tackle. 7 December 2010. Archived from the original on 25 May 2018. Retrieved 4 September 2012.
  18. ^ Mohammedan Sporting club and Badshah Majid Bishkar Archived 9 July 2021 at the Wayback Machine facebook.com. Retrieved 1 July 2021
  19. ^ "Remembering Majid Bishkar: East Bengal's '80s 'Badshah'". orissapost.com. September 2019. Archived from the original on 9 July 2021. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
  20. ^ I wanted time for myself, thought no one would find me here: Majid Bishkar The Times of India. Retrieved 1 July 2021
  21. ^ Iran national football team: 1978 FIFA World Cup Archived 23 March 2021 at the Wayback Machine planetworldcup.com. Retrieved 20 April 2021
  22. ^ "Iran in World Cup 1978". teammelli.com. Archived from the original on 4 January 2010. Retrieved 21 January 2008.
  23. ^ হৃদরোগে আক্রান্ত মজিদ, ভর্তি হাসপাতালে Archived 9 July 2021 at the Wayback Machine Anandabazar Patrika. Retrieved 1 July 2021
  24. ^ ইরানের হাসপাতালে হৃদরোগে আক্রান্ত হয়ে সিসিউতে ভর্তি কিংবদন্তি ফুটবলার মজিদ বাসকর Archived 9 July 2021 at the Wayback Machine Asiabangla.live. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
  25. ^ Mergulhao, Marcus (16 August 2019). "wanted time for myself, thought no one would find me here". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 5 July 2021. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
  26. ^ Das Sharma, Amitabha (13 August 2019). "Emotional homecoming for East Bengal legend Majid 'Badsha' Beshkar". Sportstar. Archived from the original on 15 May 2021. Retrieved 5 July 2021.

Further reading

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