Indian-origin teenage footballer Tahsin creates history by making it to the Qatar national squad
KOCHI: Seventeen-year-old Tahsin Mohammed Jamshid has made history by becoming the first player of Indian origin to be selected for the Qatar national football team. He has been included in the 29-member Qatar squad that will play two World Cup qualifiers against Afghanistan on June 6 and India on June 11.
Tahsin’s father, Jamshid, hails from Thalassery, while his mother, Shaima, is from Valapattanam in Kannur district. The couple moved to Qatar several years ago in search of better opportunities. Tahsin was born in Qatar and took to football under the guidance of his father, who was an ex-Calicut University player. He has been training at Qatar’s Aspire Football Academy, and his dribbling skills have often left rival defenders caught napping. The midfielder had already made his presence felt in the Gulf nation by becoming the first Indian-origin player to feature in the Qatar Stars League. He made his debut for Al Duhail in their match against Al Rayyan on March 31.
Along with Nabeel Irfan, Tahsin is one of the two South Asian-origin players who have made it to the Qatar national squad for the World Cup qualifiers. In fact, Tahsin was part of the Qatar U-17 team that faced the Indian youth team during their junior national team’s exposure tour in 2023.
Though an Indian passport holder, Tahsin has been using a temporary Qatari passport—a mission passport—which is a prerequisite for participating in Qatar’s sports leagues. However, with his selection to the national squad, it is expected that Tahsin will be granted permanent citizenship of Qatar soon. But once he becomes a permanent citizen of Qatar, Tahsin will have to surrender his Indian passport.
In a remarkable turn of events, Tahsin Mohammed Jamshid has broken barriers and paved the way for other Indian-origin footballers to dream big and aim for international success. His journey from Thalassery to the Qatar national squad is a testament to his hard work, dedication, and talent on the field. As he gears up to represent Qatar in the upcoming World Cup qualifiers, Tahsin is set to inspire a new generation of young footballers with his remarkable achievements.
