Abdul Majeed Kakroo

Abdul Majeed Kakroo is a retired Indian footballer from Kashmir who played as a striker and he represented India at the 1984 Asian Cup. He became the first player from Kashmir to captain India when he captained the team during the 1987 Nehru Cup.[1] He played for both Mohun Bagan and East Bengal during his club career.[1] One of the stands at the TRC Turf Ground has been named after him by Real Kashmir FC.[2]

Abdul Majeed Kakroo
Personal information
Place of birth India
Position(s) Striker
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1977-1988 Road Transport Corporation (RTC) ?? (??)
1988–1989 Mohun Bagan ?? (??)
National team
1981-1989 India
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Club career

He signed his first professional contract in 1977 with Road Transport Cooperation (RTC).[3] He was paid a salary of Rs.180 per month.[3] He helped RTC reach the quarterfinals of the Durand Cup where they lost to JCT.[3] He also represented Jammu and Kashmir in the Santosh Trophy tournament. He later went on to play for East Bengal and Mohun Bagan and became one of the highest paid footballers in the country.[3] Kakroo had to cut short his football career in Kolkata after he received threats from militants to return home.

International career

After impressing in the Durand Cup in 1979-80, he was called up to the National Team camp. He wasn't selected for the final team and was told to improve his game with the left foot.[3] He later went on to play for the national team for 8 years. He was a part of the Indian squad that played in the 1984 Asian Cup. Later, he captained the national team in the 1987 Nehru Cup. He scored goals against China and Malaysia in the 1983 President's Cup.[4] He played a total of 30 matches with the National team.

References
  1. "Un-Real Kashmir: A football club gives hope to the beleaguered state". ESPN.com. Retrieved 3 December 2018.
  2. "Real Kashmir 0-1 Mohun Bagan: Another reality check for Real Kashmir in the I-League". The Indian Express. 21 November 2018. Retrieved 3 December 2018.
  3. "Abdul Majeed Kakroo: The story of football in Jammu and Kashmir". The Indian Express. 6 November 2018. Retrieved 3 December 2018.
  4. Sarkar, Saikat (24 March 2009). "'Football suffered during militancy'". Indian Express. Retrieved 3 December 2018.
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