Pancha Pandavas

In Indian football, Pancha Pandavas (Bengali pronunciation: [/ˈpɔñtʃo pāṇɖob/]) or VADAS, refers to the East Bengal penta-forward-line consisting of Ahmed Khan, Appa Rao, P. Venkatesh, P.B.A.

During the Pandavas era at East Bengal, the club won 11 major trophies,[1] had success against foreign opponents,[2] and was adjudged as the best team in Asia by the English FA annual almanac in 1951–52.

The "Pancha Pandavas" of Indian football are the five forwards, who played for the Kolkata club, East Bengal, from 1949 to 1953— Ahmed Khan, Appa Rao, P. Venkatesh, P.B.A.

Mamidipalli Appa Rao (1911-1978), the most senior of them, who was from Kakianda, joined East Bengal in 1941 and played for 15 consecutive seasons until 1955, the longest of any Pandava.

[3][11] In their very first season together in 1949, they helped the club win a famous treble of the Calcutta Football League, the IFA Shield and the Rovers Cup.

[a] In the Rovers Cup the scoring continued as East Bengal defeated: Maharashtra XI 3–0 in the first round, Tata Sports 2–0 in the second round, GIP Rail 4–1 in the semi-finals and EI Railways 3–0 in the final where Appa Rao, Venkatesh and Dhanraj each scored as East Bengal lifted the Rovers Cup trophy.

[3] Their success continued in the following season as East Bengal won the Calcutta League with K. P. Dhanraj winning the top scorer award with 18 goals[12] and the IFA Shield by defeating Services XI 3–0 in the final.

[13][17] The club received international recognition after winning three back-to-back IFA Shield titles in 1951, as the English FA annual almanac in 1951–52 adjudged East Bengal as the best football team in Asia.

[18][19][20] In 1952, the Pandavas led East Bengal to another three trophies, as they lifted the Calcutta League with 40 points from 26 matches with K. P. Dhanraj once again bagging the top scorer award with 10 goals.

[16][21] In 1953, the last year the Pancha Pandavas played together at East Bengal, the Calcutta League was abandoned midway[12] and the club travelled to Bucharest to participate in the World Youth Festival where they finished fourth.

[24] The club, however, fought a legal battle, and the IFA revoked the suspension later,[25] but this marked the end of the Pancha Pandavas era at East Bengal.

[2][29] The Pandavas-led East Bengal won another friendly on 22 November 1951 in Calcutta, against Swedish side FC Gothenburg, by 1–0 with Saleh scoring the game's only goal.

East Bengal management received an invitation to participate in the World Youth Congress to be held at Bucharest, Romania.