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THE UNSUNG HERO
Mr. Shlur Nongbri has been hailed as the most illustrious football player of the fifties and sixties in North East India. Those who have been fortunate enough to watch him in action often find themselves at a loss for words when asked to describe his performances on the field. ?Once he had possession of the ball, it didn?t matter how many defenders threw themselves at him, his swift legs and deftness ensured he?d always get a good shot,? reminisces Wahingdoh resident Lber F. Nalle.
One of his closest allies and teammate, Mr. Shering Singh can?t help but smile as he recalls his Wahingdoh football days with Shlur, ?Never in my life have I seen anyone else play like him, ever. Though this one lad, Sunil Chettri, does remind me a lot of him. They?re both quick, dedicated and well?.short in stature,? he chuckles. ?Simply put, Shlur was a genius. I can not say he ?learnt? how to play football. Rather, he taught himself. This incredible talent he had?he was born with it.?
The story of Shlur Nongbri begins in the small locality of Wahingdoh, Shillong. Anyone who?d known him as a child could?ve accurately predicted that this little Mawkhar Christian High School student would someday be hailed as a legendary sporting hero. By the time he was 15 he had participated and won in the football, athletics, hockey and badminton tournaments conducted by the Shillong Sports Association (SSA). Mr. Nongbri had already become some sort of local celebrity.
But his tremendous abilities over a wide gamut of sports didn?t stop here. At the age of 17, he was selected to represent Shillong at the Inter District Hockey Tournament held in Gauhati (1954). Mr. Nongbri was without a doubt immensely talented, but more importantly, he was mature and wise beyond his years. He respectfully declined the opportunity to participate in this prestigious tournament, citing a reason one can perhaps deem as noble ? that though he was a strong player, his heart just wasn?t in the game. Incidentally, Shillong went on to lift the Inter District trophy that year, but Mr. Nongbri had no regrets.
That tournament helped a young Shlur gain perspective. ?I told myself that I was capable of playing many types of sports, but that I should focus all my effort and concentration on the one sport I truly loved ? Football. Sportsmen all around the world play a variety of sports, however they focus only on one game?. It is better to be a specialist in a single discipline than to be a jack of all trades and master of none,? he wrote in his autobiography published in 1970 to commemorate the Silver Jubilee of the Wahingdoh Sports Club. And it was that decisive moment where North East football gained one of its greatest contributors of all time.
Mr. Nongbri began his football career with his native team ? Wahingdoh Sports Club in 1953. Though the club managed to clinch the runners-up position in the Second Division of the
| Mr. Nongbri was the epitome of sportsmanship, say his contemporaries. As talented and famous as he was, he had no ego, no airs about him. Unlike many other skilled players at that time, Mr. Nongbri believed his incredible God given talented was something meant to be shared. |
Shillong Football League that year, they were promoted to the First Division the very next season. On observing his exceptional performances during his stint at the club, the office of the Assam State Transport, Shillong offered him a job in 1955. ?Mr. Nongbri entered his service career not as an office assistant, but as the new shining football star of the Assam State Transport,? commented Aibor B. Shullai in his article ?Unforgettable ? Lest We Forget The Immortal Bah (L) Shlur Nongbri? in the official magazine of the B.C.Roy Trophy, Shillong (1989)
Mr. Nongbri represented the Shillong District Team as well as the Assam State Team for ten years straight ? from 1955 to 1965. 1959, the year Shillong and Gauhati were announced joint holders of the Inter-District Football Cup, was a proud period for every Khasi football supporter. For on completion of the tournament, Mr. Nongbri was declared the ?Best Player of Assam*?, an exceptional feat considering people residing in the hills were rarely ever bestowed with a distinction of such high merit at that time.
*(Assam then consisted of present day Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh) He made his national debut at the National Football Championship (Santosh Trophy, Kerela), 1955. At 18 years of age, he was the youngest member in his side. At the end of the tournament, a reputed sports magazine from Madras ? ?Sports & Past Time? wrote, ?There were a few good goals, but the one scored by the Assam inside-right, Shlur Nongbri against Delhi, was a real gem. Nongbri showed rich promise, appeared facile in both inside berths and also displayed an equitable temperament.? Just over a year after he?d chosen to pursue football as his sole sport, a young Mr. Nongbri had already made an indelible mark on the national stage.
As his fame spread nationwide, he came incredibly close to being selected to represent India at the Rome Olympics in 1960. Unlike the previously told stories, this is a sad one. In 1959, Mr. Nongbri was among the four stalwarts from Assam selected to participate in the Kolkatta trials under coach Shri. S. Manna. The coaching camp consisted of 33 players handpicked from across the country. Eventually, Mr. Nongbri was the only player from Assam selected to undergo further coaching in Hyderabad as part of the top 21. It was at this point in time that the following article was published in the 28th June, 1960 issue of The Shillong Times ??It is a moment of profound delectation and pride for the soccer fans of Assam in general and Shillong in particular, to learn that one of its prominent and scintillating footballers, Shri. Shlur Nongbri, has been selected to undergo training under A. Rahim in Hyderabad for the final selection of the Indian Olympic team for Rome. For many who have had the opportunity to closely observe the performance of this star player, there is absolutely no room for doubt of his immense potentialities in the field of soccer. He could dodge with ease a host of defenders at a stretch. They were transfixed by his immaculate ball control and effective scheming. It would be a treat to watch him in action. In fact, his name has become a household word in every nook and corner of Assam wherever soccer is played. It would be an honour indeed if he is given a chance to don the colours of the Indian Football team at the Rome Olympics, 1960.?
But much to his dismay, Mr. Nongbri suffered a bad case of Influenza during his spell in Hyderabad. His doctor advised him a few days? rest, but ultimately, he was bedridden for ten whole days. Once he had recovered and was prepared to resume training, he was informed that the team selection had already been finalized. When the final lineup of 16 players was announced, Mr. Nongbri found his name listed at number 17.
?He had but a single dream,? said Mr. Shering, ?And that was to represent his country someday. To have come so close and have it taken away like that, it was pretty hard on him. Whatever the case may have been, he truly deserved that spot on the national team.? Mr. Nongbri returned to Shillong with a heavy heart but he continued to play on for his club, office, district and state team. He played the final football match of his career at the IFA Shield Tournament, Kolkatta (1970) as part of the Shillong XI. Shortly after his retirement, he took to archery and excelled in his new found hobby.
Mr. Nongbri was the epitome of sportsmanship, say his contemporaries. As talented and famous as he was, he had no ego, no airs about him. Unlike many other skilled players at that time, Mr. Nongbri believed his incredible God given talented was something meant to be shared. Everything he knew about the game, he taught to his fellow players. He kept nothing a secret. ?We used to play exhibition matches all over the north east ? from the big cities to the small villages. Many villagers learnt the art of football watching him play. He was sharing every bit he could,? recalls Mr. Shering.
?We were close for 22 years. He was more like a coach to me than a teammate?.he was my mentor,? said Mr. Shering. ?I originally started playing football in the right-out position. On observing me play he suggested I play in the centre back position instead. Soon enough I was selected to play in the centre back position for the Assam State Team.? Then with a smile he said, ?Told you he was a genius.?
?I doubt Shillong will ever see a footballer like Mr. Nongbri again. Today, everything is about team play. Glory is brought by the team, not the individual. All we ever talk about are ?good teams?. In the 50?s all people ever talked about was a single individual ? Mr. Nongbri,? said Mr. Shering. ?Back in the day, there were no sponsors, football was low on professionalism. But had he been playing in this day and age, Mr. Nongbri would?ve been a millionaire! There?s no doubt about that.?
But despite all the merit and recognition he has achieved for north east India, Mr. Nongbri is no longer remembered or revisited. Very few people of the present generation can even recognize his name. ?It?s a shame sports bodies such as the Shillong Sports Association (SSA) or the Meghalaya Football Association (MFA) have not held any football tournaments in his name in spite of his large contribution to the sport,? said Mr. Shering. ?In my opinion, he deserves a statue as well!?
Ironically, when the Sports Promoters? Organization, Shillong conducted its annual Under-19 Football Invitation Tournament in the 80?s, they handed out small booklets titled ?Lest We Forget, a brief life history of Mr. Shlur Nongbri?, along with their tournament schedule pamphlets. An enterprising effort, and yet, in all reality, we have forgotten. Does a man of his quality and caliber truly deserve to be forgotten? And having accomplished his feats in the past, does his existence mean no significance to us any longer? Those who have lived to watch Mr. Nongbri play, beg to differ. ?He deserves better,? they all say, ?Far, far better.?
With football having attained the degree of popularity it holds today, it is only fair that we give due credit to the man who not only acted as a catalyst to its popularizing process but also lent a hand in increasing the quality of the sport in the state. Mr. Nongbri devoted his life to the game and to the state, let us use his name, his stories and his teachings to do what he did best ? inspire people. In the words of Edson Arentes Do Nascimento, a great football player the world fondly refers to as Pele ?-
This, is not our life
Everything here is a game
A passing thing
What matters is what I?ve done
And what I?ll leave behind
Let it be an example
For those that come
There are many people
With the will to fight
Life is not just this
Truth is farther beyond.
Mr. Nongbri is no longer with us. We pray that his soul may rest in peace forever.
Elgiva Kharsati
