‘Age is just a number’, is a phrase frequently used. But seldom true. However, the short athletic figure and lion-hearted spirit of the 80-year-old Bachi Ram, syncs in tune.
A man of legendary stature in Delhi football fraternity, Bachi Ram is known for his indomitable spirit and love for the game of football because even at the age of 80, he coaches enthusiastic teenagers. One can spot him, with a whistle around his neck, giving instructions to kids at the Ambedkar Stadium.
Age might have withered his athletic prowess, but his passion for the game remains unparalleled. Bachi Ram was formerly the coach and secretary of Buddhist Blue Stars Football Club, popularly known as ‘BB Stars’ and looked after this club for nearly 50 years.
Novy Kapadia, a renowned football commentator, recalls, “The BB Stars Club had modest means and trained at the India Gate lawns. The source of income was donations made by the players themselves. And Bachi Ram would persuade some businessman to donate every year.” Despite such adverse conditions and monetary problems, Bachi Ram made sure that BB Stars always played in the first division.
“A man of excitable temperament, Bachi Ram was the first man we thought of whenever we wished to organise a tournament,” remembers Kapadia. He had practised on the lawns of India Gate with two bricks on each side that served as goal posts. Such were the conditions of Delhi football in those days but their following was tremendous with crowds thronging even local inter-collegiate matches.
Reminiscing over by-gone days, former Delhi goalkeeper Ghaus Mohammad says, “Bachi Ram would spot talent by cycling all over Delhi to look-out for players and choose the good ones and ask them to join his club.”
On one such cycle trip, Bachi Ram had spotted a 13-year-old Ghaus. “If it were not for that one day, my entire life would have turned out to be different,” remembers Ghaus who played for the BB stars and was among the probables for the 1986 Asian Games and Pre-Olympics. This is also how Bachi Ram had discovered Gopal Sharma who later went onto being one of the finest defenders in the country.
Alongside the many diverse roles of a coach, mentor, an organiser, Bachi Ram was also a national referee and was always very aware of the rules. He was short in height but amazingly athletic and kept pace with players half his age. He ensured no young player missed out on football due to lack of funds. He was always there to sponsor their campaigns. He was a player’s coach, one who saw to the distresses of all his players. Under him, there was never surplus but always sufficient.
