The word ‘Iran’ conjures many things for many people in this time of war in West Asia, but for Kolkatans of a certain vintage, the country is synonymous with Jamshid Nassiri.
He came to India from Iran in 1979 – the year of the Islamic Revolution – to study at Aligarh Muslim University (AMU). Nassiri was signed by East Bengal along with fellow Iranian players Majid Bishkar and Mahmud Khabbasi.
“We were dreaming of playing football and especially playing for the country,” Nassiri, 67, tells The Telegraph Online My Kolkata over the phone.
“My brother and I were players playing at the state level,” he says.
His elder brother did go on to play for the Iranian national team.
Nassiri does not want to talk about the war in the country of his birth. “I don’t want to talk politics at all,” he underlines at the very beginning.
He is, however, ready to go down memory lane. He had come to India to study, but the dream of playing for big teams never went away.
In AMU “we had one or two Africans. There were two or three more Iranians and the captain was Indian. So, with this arsenal we made Aligarh University the champions.”
That was just the start for the Iranian in India. “After nearly 27 to 30 years, Aligarh University was the first team to be invited to play football in Bombay,” added Nassiri.
He went on to become the first foreign player to score 100 goals across several tournaments in India.
While returning from Bombay, Nassiri and Bishkar got a call from Calcutta. East Bengal Club signed both of them in 1980. The duo became an instant fan favourite.
The 1980 Federation Cup was Nassiri’s debut tournament with the Red and Golds who won the tournament. In the same season, East Bengal also won the Rovers Cup with Nassiri playing a big part.
Nassiri is presently technical director of Calcutta Police Club, with a history of coaching a lot of clubs including Mohammedan Sporting in 2003
“First tournament, we were joint champions with Mohun Bagan. That year, whatever trophy we played, we were champion,” Nassiri says.
“I had plenty of friends in Iran when I played football here. I have lost touch with so many people; some have gone away from Iran; some have become less accessible. So I preferred to stay in India and make this my home,” he says.
He is presently technical director of Calcutta Police Club, with a history of coaching a lot of clubs including Mohammedan Sporting in 2003.
Talking about his former team mate Bishkar, Nassiri says, “I am very fond of Majid. Whenever he comes to Calcutta, he visits me. We went to blood donation camps together. Though he left football early, he has become a football scholar. I get his updates from time to time.”
Bishkar returned to Iran in the 1980s and chose to stay in his homeland. “I get news here that he is with a veteran, he is studying football, coaching, and they participate in veterans’ tournaments here and there,” Nassiri says.
By now, Nassiri is a pucca Bengali who loves the cuisine, the rituals and the football heritage of the state.