Tahsin on verge of creating history

Every four years, when the FIFA World Cup comes around, Malayali football fans are usually left celebrating by putting up banners and posters of stars like Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Mbappe. This time, however, they have a Malayali footballer of their own to proudly showcase. It is the picture of 19-year-old striker Tahsin Mohammed Jamshid, who has been named in Qatar's 26-member squad for the World Cup. He is on the verge of creating history as the first player of Malayali origin to play in the tournament. Tahsin is the second son of Jamshid, a native of Thalassery and former football player of Calicut University, and Shaima, who hails from Valapattanam. Jamshid moved to Qatar in 1996 and now works there as a chief accountant. Tahsin was born and raised in Qatar. His football journey began while playing with his father. He later developed into a striker through Qatar's renowned Aspire Academy.

Tahsin impressed at the junior and youth levels for Qatar and joined Qatar Stars League club Al Duhail at the age of 17. He became the first player of Indian origin to play in the Qatar Stars League. He has represented Qatar at the Under-16, Under-17, and Under-19 levels. In June 2024, he made his senior debut for Qatar in a World Cup qualifying match against Afghanistan. For Jamshid, Tahsin's success is the fulfilment of a dream he could not achieve himself. An injury forced him to end his football career before reaching the highest level. While Tahsin may have inherited his father's passion and talent for football, his rapid rise was also made possible by his father's dedication and efforts to provide him with the best training opportunities. While celebrating Tahsin's achievement, there are also some important questions Kerala must consider. There are many young players in our state who are as talented as, or even more talented than, Tahsin. But why are they unable to reach such heights and achieve similar success?

One major reason is the quality of training and infrastructure available to him in Qatar. Tahsin grew up at Aspire Academy, one of the best football academies in Asia. The academy has five world-class training grounds and excellent facilities. Years before hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Qatar invested heavily in football development. The country established top academies, clubs, and leagues to train the next generation of players. While Qatar qualified automatically for the 2022 World Cup as hosts, they earned their place in the current tournament through strong performances in the Asian qualifiers. The reality is that neither Kerala nor India has been able to build football academies and infrastructure of a similar standard.

One of the reasons why many clubs, including Kerala Blasters in the Indian Super League (ISL), have not had their licenses renewed by the All India Football Federation (AIFF) is their failure to implement grassroots development programs that are mandatory for nurturing young talent. However, clubs alone cannot be blamed for the lack of football development and the failure to identify and nurture talented players in a country like India. Governments must also play a proactive role by establishing world-class football academies and bringing in top-quality coaches, including experts from abroad, to help develop the next generation of players. FIFA expanded the World Cup from 32 to 48 teams partly to create opportunities for countries like India. But India must be ready to make use of those opportunities. Though he wears the Qatar jersey, Tahsin speaks Malayalam and has roots in Valapattanam. His achievement is a matter of pride for Malayalis everywhere. Congratulations to Tahsin Mohammed Jamshid. May he score goals on football's biggest stage and make Malayalis proud around the world.