Mumbai: Hard work and dedication are the key to success in any sport, opined Abbas Montaser Zaidi, Arjuna awardee and captain of the Indian team during the Asian Basketball Championship 1969. In an exclusive conversation with ETV Bharat, Abbas, who hails from Mumbai's Nagpara in Maharashtra, said, “You take the example of (Sunil) Gavaskar (cricketer). He was the perfect sportsman. He would go directly to the nets after landing from the flight."
Everyone can pass SSC after studying for two hours, but you need to study for six hours to top the exam. Same is the case with sports,” Abbas quipped. Abbas started playing basketball at the age of nine and before reaching the age of 18, he played the sport at the national and international levels and devoted his life to the sport.
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In 1969, he was the captain of the Indian team during the Asian Basketball Championship. In 1970, he was awarded the Arjuna Award. Abbas has also written a book on basketball titled 'Principles of Basketball'. It was because of basketball that he got a supernumerary job in the railways for 42 years. Today, at the age of 80, Abbas actively participates in various sports activities, including basketball to motivate the players. Abbas feels that India is getting recognised at the international level in the sport with more opportunities than before. Pertinently, Abbas's hometown Nagpara, a Muslim-majority area of Mumbai, was once home to a large number of football and basketball players.
