Turab Ali

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Turab Ali

| image = Former Pakistan national football team captain Turab Ali.jpg

| alt = black-and-white image of Turab Ali wearing a light-coloured shirt and a dark suit, grinning directly at camera

| caption = Ali in the 1960s

| fullname = Turab Ali

| birth_date = 1943

| birth_place = Karachi, British India

| death_date = {{Death date and given age|2009|6|5|df=y|65–66}}

| death_place = Karachi, Pakistan

| position = Defender

| youthyears1 =

| youthclubs1 =

| years1 = –1960

| clubs1 = Lyari Mohammedan

| years2 = 1960–1961

| clubs2 = Karachi Port Trust

| years3 = 1961–1968

| clubs3 = Dhaka Mohammedan

| nationalyears1 = 1961–1967

| nationalteam1 = Pakistan

| nationalcaps1 =

| nationalgoals1 =

| pcupdate =

| ntupdate =

}}

Turab Ali (1943–2009) was a Pakistani footballer who played as a centre-back. He was dubbed as "the Wall of China" or "Pillar of Hercules” during his heyday in the 1960s due to his defending abilities.{{Cite web |title=The years of dreams {{!}} Special Report {{!}} thenews.com.pk |url=https://www.thenews.com.pk/tns/detail/556573-the-years-of-dreams-1950s-1960s |access-date=4 August 2023 |website=www.thenews.com.pk |language=en |archive-date=28 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230728164605/https://www.thenews.com.pk/tns/detail/556573-the-years-of-dreams-1950s-1960s |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |title=Editorial {{!}} Special Report {{!}} thenews.com.pk |url=https://www.thenews.com.pk/tns/detail/556578-editorial-football-in-pakistan-17 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240604224013/https://www.thenews.com.pk/tns/detail/556578-editorial-football-in-pakistan-17 |archive-date=4 June 2024 |access-date=4 June 2024 |website=www.thenews.com.pk |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=6 June 2009 |title=Former Pakistan captain Turab dies |url=https://www.brecorder.com/news/3644003 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240817161211/https://www.brecorder.com/news/3644003 |archive-date=17 August 2024 |access-date=17 August 2024 |website=Brecorder}}{{Cite web |date=14 May 2008 |title=NBP president urges businessmen to patronise sports |url=https://www.brecorder.com/news/3512319 |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20240817161315/https://www.brecorder.com/news/3512319 |archive-date=17 August 2024 |access-date=17 August 2024 |website=Brecorde}}

Early life

Turab was born in Karachi in 1943.{{Cite web |title=Pakistan Observer, 1962.04.11 — South Asian Newspapers |url=https://gpa.eastview.com/crl/san/newspapers/paob19620411-01.1.6 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250405112011/https://gpa.eastview.com/crl/san/?a=d&d=paob19620411-01.1.6 |archive-date=5 April 2025 |access-date=5 April 2025 |website=gpa.eastview.com}}{{Cite web |title=Civil & Military Gazette (Lahore) - Wednesday 11 April 1962 |url=https://britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0003221/19620411/195/0013 |website=British Newspaper Archive}}

Club career

=Lyari Mohammedan=

Turab used to play as central-defender, and started his domestic football career Shamashin Club Lyari, now known as Lyari Mohammedan.{{Cite web |date=5 March 2013 |title=فٹ بال ہیروز کی دنیا |trans-title=World of Football Heroes |url=https://e.dunya.com.pk/detail.php?date=2013-03-05&edition=KCH&id=207883_73154157 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250205235056/https://e.dunya.com.pk/detail.php?date=2013-03-05&edition=KCH&id=207883_73154157 |archive-date=5 February 2025 |website=Daily Dunya |language=ur}}

=Karachi Port Trust=

In a match of Lyari Mohammedan against the departmental side Karachi Port Trust at the KMC Stadium in 1960, Ali impressed in the game, which led to Karachi Port Trust extending an invitation for him to join their ranks.{{Cite web |date=6 June 2009 |title=Former football skipper Turab Ali passes away |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/469529/former-football-skipper-turab-ali-passes-away |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230804201403/https://www.dawn.com/news/469529/former-football-skipper-turab-ali-passes-away |archive-date=4 August 2023 |access-date=4 August 2023 |website=DAWN.COM}}{{Cite web |last=Hasan |first=Shazia |date=5 March 2023 |title=Reviving football in Lyari |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1740465 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230804201358/https://www.dawn.com/news/1740465 |archive-date=4 August 2023 |access-date=4 August 2023 |website=DAWN.COM}} He also represented the Karachi Division team at the National Football Championship. He captained Karachi Blues in the 1961–62 season.

=Dhaka Mohammedan=

File:Mohammedan_SC_(Dhaka)_at_the_1966_Aga_Khan_Gold_Cup_final.png

In 1961, he was brought to Mohammedan SC Dhaka by Mohammedan's chief scout, Amir Jang Ghaznavi. He played for the Dhaka club between 1961 and 1968, during which the club only lost twice. He played an important role in winning the First Division with the club in 1961, 1963, 1965, and 1966.{{Cite web |last=Iqbal |first=Ayaz Khan {{!}} Nayir |date=22 September 2024 |title=FOOTBALL: GLORY DAYS, PASS ME BY |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1860358/football-glory-days-pass-me-by |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20241001121600/https://www.dawn.com/news/1860358/football-glory-days-pass-me-by |archive-date=1 October 2024 |access-date=22 September 2024 |website=DAWN.COM}}

International career

Due to his performance in Mohammedan SC Dhaka, Ali was selected for the Pakistan national team. Turab made his international debut against Burma in 1961 and six years later took over the charge of national team as 16th skipper of Pakistan Football team. He also participated in the 1962 AFC Youth Championship held in Bangkok. In 1964, when Ali visited away with the national team in a friendly against China, his game was at its peak and he was given the title of Wall of China.

File:Pakistan national football team, 1964.jpg in 1964]]

He played in RCD Cup 1965 and he was captain when Pakistan defeated a team from Saudi Arabia in a test match in Lyallpur by 3–1, part of an unofficial four-Test series in 1967 held across various cities in Pakistan.{{Cite web |date=6 June 2009 |title=Pakistan football mourns death of former skipper |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/932060/pakistan-football-mourns-death-of-former-skipper |access-date=17 November 2024 |website=DAWN.COM |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Ahsan |first=Ali |date=23 December 2010 |title=A history of football in Pakistan — Part II |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/593096/a-history-of-football-in-pakistan-part-ii |access-date=4 August 2023 |website=DAWN.COM |language=en |archive-date=7 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240107190858/https://www.dawn.com/news/593096/a-history-of-football-in-pakistan-part-ii |url-status=live }}

He also showed remarkable defensive quality when Pakistan played the 1968 AFC Asian Cup qualification in 1967 under his captaincy. His International career span was from 1961 to 1967. In 1967, a knee injury against India in Burma in the 1968 AFC Asian Cup qualification proved to be the end of his career.{{Citation needed|date=April 2025}}

In February 1968, Ali was selected as part of the AFC Asian All Stars team.{{cite web |date=22 February 1968 |script-title=ko:서울선 6월26일亞洲올·스타蹴球팀 巡訪경기 |url=https://newslibrary.naver.com/viewer/index.nhn?articleId=1968022200329204012&editNo=2&printCount=1&publishDate=1968-02-22&officeId=00032&pageNo=4&printNo=6882&publishType=00020 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220922092313/https://newslibrary.naver.com/viewer/index.naver?articleId=1968022200329204012&editNo=2&printCount=1&publishDate=1968-02-22&officeId=00032&pageNo=4&printNo=6882&publishType=00020 |archive-date=22 September 2022 |access-date=7 September 2020 |website=Naver.com |publisher=Kyunghyang |language=ko}}{{Cite web |title=Pakistan Observer 1968.02.16 — South Asian Newspapers |url=https://gpa.eastview.com/crl/san/?a=d&d=paob19680216-01.1.8&srpos=18&e=------196-en-25-paob-1--img-txIN-turab+ali--------- |access-date=2025-04-13 |website=gpa.eastview.com}}

Personal life

Ali was belonged to the locality of Lyari in Karachi.{{Cite web |last=Shahnawaz |first=Mohammad |date=12 March 2017 |title=Football: THE SONG OF LYARI |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1319967 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240530220312/https://www.dawn.com/news/1319967 |archive-date=30 May 2024 |access-date=30 May 2024 |website=DAWN.COM |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=InpaperMagazine |first=From |date=13 January 2013 |title=In-depth: Pakistan football |url=https://www.dawn.com/2013/01/13/in-depth-pakistan-football/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160121032308/https://www.dawn.com/2013/01/13/in-depth-pakistan-football/ |archive-date=21 January 2016 |access-date=30 May 2024 |website=DAWN.COM}}{{Cite web |last=fawad.hussain |date=8 May 2012 |title=Among those who fell in Lyari, there was a ‘Pele’ too |url=https://tribune.com.pk/story/375990/among-those-who-fell-in-lyari-there-was-a-%e2%80%98pele%e2%80%99-too |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240610075531/https://tribune.com.pk/story/375990/among-those-who-fell-in-lyari-there-was-a-‘pele’-too |archive-date=10 June 2024 |access-date=4 June 2024 |website=The Express Tribune |language=en}} He was the eldest of four sisters and four brothers, and also used to work at a port at the beginning of his career. After leaving football, Ali lived in poverty. He also drove a taxi on the streets of Karachi. In July 1971, Ali was invited to a show led by Zia Mohyeddin at the Dacca TV Station which also featured Ghulam Mustafa Tabassum, Rakhshanda Khattak, Ferdausi Rahman and a Japanese guest. However Ali was asked to leave the show shortly after starting, sparking controversy.{{Cite web |title=Pakistan Observer 1971.07.27 — South Asian Newspapers |url=https://gpa.eastview.com/crl/san/?a=d&d=paob19710727-01.1.2&srpos=2&e=------197-en-25-paob-1--img-txIN-turab+ali--------- |access-date=2025-04-13 |website=gpa.eastview.com}}

In the latter part of his life he became constrained and confined himself to a room. In 2003, he was given financial assistance of 50 thousand rupees in a tournament held in his name at the People's Football Stadium.

Death

He died in Karachi on 5 June 2009. He had having been suffering from complications after a severe stroke and was admitted to the Kutiana Memon Hospital at Kharadar.