Zakaria Pintoo

East End Club

In 1957, a year before his admission to Jagannath College, Pintoo came to Dhaka to attend trials for the secondary team of East End Club, which participated in the Second Division. However, following impressive trials, he was given direct entry to the main team. He represented the club in the First Division in both 1957 and 1958.

Dhaka Wanderers

Pintoo joined Dhaka Wanderers Club in 1959. His standout performance during the club's Aga Khan Gold Cup third-round victory against Sindh Youngmen's Club in his debut season helped the club reach the quarter-finals, where they lost to Ceylon. Pintoo was usually deployed as either a half-back or a center-back in a three-man defence. In 1960, Pintoo played a crucial role in defense alongside Abdul Gafur Baloch, helping Wanderers become First Division champions by overtaking their arch-rivals and defending champions, Mohammedan SC. In the single league, the club only lost to Mohammedan in the final matchday. That same year, he also contributed to the club's journey to the quarter-finals of the Aga Khan Gold Cup, where Wanderers defeated Pakistan Airlines 3–2 in a third-round replay. However, they were ultimately overwhelmed by Indonesian club PSM Makassar, suffering a 0–8 defeat in the semi-finals. During a match against the visiting Kolkata Mohammedan, Pintoo man-marked Mohammed Rahmatullah in a notable 2–1 victory for the Wanderers, which earned him praise from the Kolkata club's coach.

East…

East Pakistan

On 24 January 1963, Pintoo represented the East Pakistan football team in an exhibition match against the touring China national football team. The game, held in Dhaka, saw East Pakistan suffer a heavy 1–11 defeat. On 2 September 1962, he played for the East Pakistan XI in an exhibition match against the Pakistan national team in Dhaka, which they lost 2–4. The game, arranged by the East Pakistan Sports Federation, was held as a charity match to raise funds for the victims of the regional flood. In 1967, Pintoo was appointed captain of the East Pakistan team, a role he held until 1970. In 1968, he captained the team in a 2–3 defeat against the South Korean club Yangzee FC in Dhaka. Under his leadership, the team achieved its first international success by winning the King Mahendra Cup in Nepal in 1970. East Pakistan defeated Border Security Force team from India by 2–0 in the title-deciding game of the tournament, held in a round-robin league format.

Pakistan

In 1969, Pintoo made his debut for the Pakistan national team during the Jaam-e-Doosti Cup (Friendship Cup) in Tehran, Iran. During the tournament, Pakistan faced the Soviet club Spartak Moscow and the Turkish team Mersin Talim Yurdu, alongside the national sides of Iraq and Iran. In the same year, he participated in the 1969 RCD Cup held in Turkey. Pintoo was one of four East Pakistani players included in the team, alongside him were Shahidur Rahman Shantoo, Hafizuddin Ahmed, and Golam…

After retiring from football, Pintoo briefly coached Mohammedan SC in 1977. In 1978, he received a short-term diploma in football coaching from England. He later became the joint editor of the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) in 1979. On 20 July 1979, Pintoo served as the head coach of the national team during a 1–0 defeat to South Korea B in a friendly match played in Dhaka. Pintoo was the manager of the national team coached by Abdur Rahim at the 1980 AFC Asian Cup in Kuwait. He served as the Director of Sports of the National Sports Council (NSC) from 1980 to 1982. Additionally, he was the Deputy Chef-de-Mission of the Bangladesh contingent at the 1995 South Asian Games in Madras, India, and the 2004 South Asian Games in Islamabad, Pakistan. Notably, he had the honor of lighting the torch at both the 1993 South Asian Games in Dhaka and the 6th Bangladesh Games in 1996. In 1978, he received the National Sports Award. He received the Independence Day Award (1995) in the sports category by the Government of Bangladesh. In 2016, BFF president, Kazi Salahuddin, alleged that Pintoo asked him for funds to withdraw the nomination paper of the president post in the 2012 BFF election. The allegation was later denied by Pintoo.

Born on 1 January 1943 in Naogaon District, British India, Pintoo spent most of his childhood in Barisal District. In 1958, he was admitted to Jagannath College after completing his secondary examinations at Mathbaria High School. He captained the college football team into winning the Sir AF Rahman Shield and Governors Cup. In 1960, after finishing his higher secondary examinations, Pintoo joined Barisal BM College, and won the Sher-e-Bangla Cup as team captain. In 1968, Pintoo gained admission to Dhaka University, and captained their football team as they would become champions of the East Pakistan Combined University Football Championship. In 1969, Pintoo captained East Pakistan Combined University to the zonal championship of the National Football Championship.