Nakul Shivani/ New Delhi

Gulam Abbas Moontasir, the first Basketball player to be awarded the Arjuna award is no more. He died on Tuesday after a prolonged illness in a Mumbai hospital.

80-year-old Moontasir made his debut for India in 1960, playing an exhibition match against Australia. He went on to represent the country in the 1970 Bangkok Asian Games in which India finished sixth and also captained the Indian team in the Asian Basketball Championship in 1969 and 1975.

In 1970, the year he was awarded the Arjuna Award, Abbas was also selected in the All-Asian Star team.

Gulam Abbas Moontasir with the Arjuan Award

Veteran sports journalist, V Krishnasway, recalls his first encounter with the legend way back in 1982 when he was in the twilight of his career: “It was my first year in sports journalism. I was sent to cover the prestigious Ramu Memorial Basketball Tournament in Mumbai where I saw this aggressive, busy player on court, pushing his teammates, baiting his rivals.”

“Back then there were no phones, only pen and paper. You could see the appeal he had among the locals. People would throng to just shake hands with him. He was a true legend,” he adds.

Born in 1942, Abbas started playing Basketball inspired by American missionaries who introduced the sport to Nagapada. Starting at the age of 9 he played the sport for 28 years till his retirement at the age of 44.

Another veteran sports journalist G Rajaraman dwells on the contribution Abbas made to Basketball in India: “Long before NBA stars came to our drawing rooms, Ghulam Abbas Moontasir’s court craft and charismatic personality drew crowds to the Basketball courts across the country. He and his contemporaries kept it afloat at a time when Hockey and Cricket had gained ascendancy.”

Abbas honed his skills at the Bachchu Khan Municipal Ground in Nagapada and went on to become one of the true legends of Indian sports.

Gulam Abbas Moontasir (Second from Right)

As Rajaraman adds: “He was an inspiration for a generation of Basketball players. But it will be tough to carry forward his legacy.”

Abbas announced his retirement after playing his last match for Railways in the Federation Cup in 1986. 

After his retirement, he was always close to the game and never shied from giving tips to aspiring Basketball players. In February 2021, the Basketball Federation of India tweeted this video message of Abbas for young Indian players. 

Basketball Veteran, Arjuna Awardee
Shri Gulam Abbas Moontasir's message for Young Indian Ballers🏀

Its time to show what you got, work hard and achieve greatness! ✌️#IndianBasketBall #India @Iam_KGovindaraj @ChanderMukhiS @RijijuOffice pic.twitter.com/na3n0hTvhr

— #IndiaBasketball (@BFI_basketball) February 13, 2021

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He was one of the few sports icons to feature in the 1987 ‘Freedom Run’ film that was shot to promote national integration. Abbas also authored a book for young Basketball players, ‘The Principles of Basketball’ apart from featuring in two Hindi films, ‘Khoon ki Takkar’ and ‘Ashiana’.