SA Latif was a footballer of great calibre and character in the 1950s and 1960s. The Mumbai-based defender was a regular with the Indian team at one point of time, but was denied the opportunity to lead India in the 1960 Rome Olympics. But then, such things have happened before; it is happening even now. Initially, it was state associations, clubs or influential officials calling the shots. Religion and racial bias also raised its ugly head at times. Corporate considerations are said to be the latest addition.

SS Narayan, who guarded the Indian goal in two Olympics (1956 and 1960), once told this correspondent that his teammate for India, Bombay State (now Maharashtra) and Caltex Sports Club, SA Latif migrated to Pakistan after he was denied the captaincy for the 1960 Rome Olympics.

Latif was the captain of the team for the 1960 pre-Olympics meet when India defeated Afghanistan and Indonesia to qualify for the Rome Olympics. Latif was in roaring form and it was a foregone conclusion that he would be chosen to lead the National team once again in Rome Olympics. But unfortunately, it didn’t go that way.  

Before the final selection for the Italy-bound squad, some people in the AIFF apparently raised objections. The coach (SA Rahim) and the manager (K Ziauddin) are from the same religion, so Latif should not be the captain, they argued. PK Banerjee got the job.

The son of an Army officer and a handsome man, Latif didn’t say a word. The next year, he migrated to Pakistan. In June 1964, on their way back from Tehran, the Indian team landed in Karachi at 2 am to change flights. They found Latif waiting there to receive his former teammates. Such was his love for his teammates and the Indian National team. Yet, petty politics kept him out of the reckoning when he had the chance to lead the team.