Flt/Sgt. Moideen Kutty PP (born 2 January 1926), or Mohiuddin Kutty, was a Pakistani footballer who played as a striker. Considered as one of the earliest pioneering footballers in Pakistan history, he was the fourth captain of the Pakistan national football team after Osman Jan, Abdul Wahid Durrani and Muhammad Sharif.
Born in the Madras Presidency of British India, he rose through the ranks from school football. After enlisting in the Royal Indian Air Force in 1944, he represented the Royal Indian Air Force football team. Following the partition of India, Kutty moved to Pakistan where he captained the Pakistan Air Force team. He also represented the Pakistan Army football team.
Kutty scored on his debut with the Pakistan national team at the 1952 Asian Quadrangular Football Tournament, where he helped the side finish as joint-winners alongside India. He later captained the national team at the 1954 Asian Games.
In recognition of his contributions to sports, Kutty was honored with the Pride of Performance Award by the Government of Pakistan in 1969.
Early life Kutty was born in Melmuri, Malappuram, in the Madras Presidency of British India on 2 January 1926.
Nicknamed as "Irumban" () due to his lethal barefoot finishing, he developed an interest in football while attending the model high school in Malappuram, where he also guided the team to victories in inter-school competitions. Following his matriculation, he enlisted in the Royal Indian Air Force in 1944. Experiencing his inaugural moments of playing football with boots during his training in Bangalore, he became an essential component of the Royal Indian Air Force football squad.
Club career
Early years In 1947, during the Partition of British India, Kutty was serving in the Royal Indian Air Force, where the majority of his colleagues hailed from the western Punjab Province, which eventually became part of Pakistan after the independence. Consequently, he opted for Pakistan in order to remain alongside his teammates and continue his football journey. His decision was made without a full understanding of the broader ramifications of the Partition, as he held the belief that India and Pakistan would maintain friendly relations and that travel between the two nations would be seamless.
Consequently, Kutty became a part of the Royal Pakistan Air Force, which emerged following the partition of the British Indian military forces. He continued his football involvement in his new homeland.
Pakistan In 1950, Kutty was chosen to be a part of the Pakistan Air Force football team, assuming the role of captain for the PAF team during the 1951 All-Pakistan Inter-Services Football Championship.
In 1951, Kutty appeared as a guest player for the Wagga City Wanderers, notably, scoring the winning goal against Canberra to win a trophy.
He also participated in the 1955 Army Football Tournament that took place in Iran, which showcased army football teams from India, Iran, Turkey, Iraq, and Syria. The Pakistan Combined Services football team achieved victories against India and Iran, secured a draw against Syria and Iraq, but faced a loss to Turkey. Overall, they finished in the third position behind the Turkish and Iranian teams in the Army Tournament.
During Iran Services team tour of Pakistan in March 1956, Kutty represented a Pakistan Combined Services team in a match against Iran. After the Iranian team secured a 2–1 victory over Karachi at the YMCA Ground in Karachi, the Combined Services team managed to turn the tables by defeating the visitors 2–1 in the subsequent game, avenging Karachi's earlier loss.
International career
In 1952, Kutty was selected for the Pakistan national team, and made his debut during the 1952 Asian Quadrangular Football Tournament. In his debut match, Kutty scored against the host team, Ceylon, making a notable debut. Pakistan played its first match against India after victories over Ceylon and Burma, which ended in a goalless draw and emerged as joint winners of the tournament after finishing with the same points in the table.
In the subsequent edition of the tournament held in Burma in 1953, he scored two goals against Ceylon in Pakistan's resounding 6–0 victory.
In a preparation match for the Asian Games in 1954, he scored against a Singapore combined Colony XI in a 4–1 victory on 24 April 1954. He was appointed captain of the Pakistan team for the 1954 Asian Games in Manila, where he made a significant impact by scoring a goal and providing an assist in Pakistan's 6–2 victory over Singapore. Kutty would then represent the national team at the 1955 Asian Quadrangular Football Tournament held at Dacca, East Pakistan.
Coaching career Following his playing career, Moideen Kutty transitioned into coaching roles. In 1956, he took on the position of coach for both the Pakistan Services and Air Force teams. Subsequently, he briefly assisted the Pakistan senior team coaching staff. His coaching journey extended to mentoring various youth teams for a span of over 12 years. He was selected head coach of the Pakistan national youth team for their tour to the Soviet Union in August 1965, where the team played several test matches against local clubs. He also had reportedly received coaching education from Loughborough College in the United Kingdom.
Personal life Kutty also served as flight sergeant in the Pakistan Armed Forces. In recognition of his significant contributions to sports, Moideen Kutty was honored with the Pride of Performance Award, a prestigious civilian accolade in Pakistan. He received this recognition from President Yahya Khan in the year 1969.
Despite facing numerous procedural challenges, Kutty managed to make visits to Malappuram during the 1980s and 90s to see his mother and brothers.
Moideen's spouse, Sainaba, who died in 1987, also originated from Malappuram. The couple had a total of two sons and three daughters, and together, they resided in Karachi.
Death Kutty died in Karachi. There is no exact consensus on his date of death. Some sources state his death took place on 20 December 2005, while others point to 7 September 2011.
Career statistics
International goals Scores and results list Pakistan's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Kutty goal. +List of international goals scored by Moideen KuttyNo.DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition118 March 1952Colombo Oval, Colombo, Ceylon2–01952 Asian Quadrangular Football Tournament22 November 1953Aung Sag Stadium, Rangoon, Burma5–06–01953 Asian Quadrangular Football Tournament36–0 43 November 1953Aung Sag Stadium, Rangoon, Burma1–01–0Friendly52 May 1954Rizal Memorial Stadium, Manila, Philippines6–26–21954 Asian Games
Honours
Pakistan Asian Quadrangular Football Tournament: 1952 – Winners 1955 – Runners-up 1954 – Third place
Individual Pride of Performance: 1969
See also
List of Pakistan national football team captains
References