GP Palguna: State association prepared to offer help to Hyderabad FC

The former midfielder spoke about his playing career, his work in administration and future objectives for football in the city.

One of the best players to come out of Hyderabad, GP Palguna took to social media to reminisce about the golden days of football in a special feature called Live With The Legends hosted on Facebook by Hyderabad FC.

As a player, GP Palguna represented India at the 1986 SAFF Games where the country won the gold medal. He is currently the general secretary of the Telangana Football Association and is considered one of the finest national exponents of the game hailing from the City of the Nizams.

As part of his current role managing the state's football structure, GP Palguna was asked about the specialty behind Hyderabad and the sport's relationship. "It was a bit down in the middle. We were without competitions for almost 15 years and then I would like to thank Hyderabad FC for bringing the (football) culture back and I would like to take this opportunity to ask the parents to boost their kids to take up football as well."

Football in Hyderabad was at its pinnacle during the 70s and 80s when the city produced a host of good players. But, then came a phase where the sport got stalled in the city for around 15 years, until the new era dawned in the form of Hyderabad FC.

When asked about the reasons for this turnover, missing football and how it affected the people, Palguna replied, "I think back in those days, there were a lot of all-India tournaments and every month we used play in some matches. Back then, there were tournaments all over the year, so the players used to be fit and competitive."

Speaking about his famous goal against Salgaocar FC in the Rovers Cup in Mumbai, Palguna recounted it with great relish saying, "When I scored the goal, people were very cheerful. The fans were great and after the game when we went back to our hotel, they came in and cheered us, so that gave us more energy and enthusiasm to play the next day. I think that is what is missing from back then. We used to play a lot, but then football stopped and the boys were also not very interested in playing."

In view of his role in the administration of football in the state, GP Palguna was asked about his vision for the sport in the city, now that Hyderabad has got a team of its own participating in the ISL. He outlined his upcoming steps saying, "We wanted to start off at the grassroots level to create the next generation of footballers from Hyderabad. With Hyderabad FC we are very happy to have a team in the top league. We are not getting much of an incentive from the government, but other former senior players are coming up to help us."

"Together we want to bring back the golden period of football in Hyderabad," he added.

One of the reasons behind his vision is the impetus the ISL has provided to football in India and especially rekindling the tradition with the arrival of Hyderabad FC. "Earlier, in our times, Kolkata used to be the destination for all players. There used to be the three big clubs (Mohammedan Sporting, Mohun Bagan and East Bengal). But, now with the ISL, if you play well and are in good condition, then you get a lot of choices."

Speaking about the partnership between the state association and the team, GP Palguna replied, "We are now working towards building talent right from the grassroots level, but the problem is that parents and players are very impatient in their development. We do not endorse any backdoor hiring or anything. If a player is talented, he will be selected and we are getting good players."

With the latest developments in football, he encouraged players to develop in Hyderabad. "Now, we are offering opportunities to local players to develop in Hyderabad itself and not travel to other cities like in the past. I would ask the players and other officials to take advantage of this and play for and win for Hyderabad," he said.

"I thank Hyderabad FC for this wonderful initiative and would like to say that the state association is prepared to offer any help needed," concluded GP Palguna.