Strange that Ali Umar has played a good part of his first-class football career virtually bereft of much of silverwares to show for his blazing skills; yet one thing is assured when he is on the pitch: You’ll always hear him shout at his teammates to run that extra yard, or cover that open space, for he just go that extra mile for the sake of team. You’ll have never seen a better dribbler, an unorthodox attacking midfielder. His true consistency and class came to fore only last season. Not that his deft touch with the ball is any worse in other seasons since he burst into our collective consciousness from Your Sports Club. Since then more often than not he has been in the top bracket.

Playing at the top rung for the elite clubs he has always been in contention for top prize – Haveeru ‘Maldivian Player of the year Award.’ Yet it eludes him time and again when his top drawer performances pale in comparison to Ali Shiham, Assad, Ashfag and Fazeel, some of his compatriots who have outwitted him to the coveted title down the years.

Forget the year he surprisingly donned the shirt of IFC when he landed up in a crisis of terrible form slump. Apart from that, there you have a glittering decade-old career of a major force in local football. Easily the best dribbler among the current lot, when Maldives celebrated football silver jubilee in 2000 he won the golden boot for top scorer.

In recent years being forced to take a deeper position, mostly behind the strikers after his bad luck in front of goal from his more preferred position as a winger or centre forward, it was his rugged determination and his tireless running that earned him plaudits, put him in contention for top prize time and again. Only to live in the shadows of Assad, Ali Shiham, Shah and Co. cost him the many deserved recognitions in the best part of his hay days.

But surprisingly last season having played along with new generation former Maldivian Players you saw a more refined and rejuvenated man – later in New Radiant captain armband. So consistent throughout the season, now operating in his newfound position as a midfielder, the duel feat of being a constant supply line to his upfront strikers and scoring a glorious 10 goals he ended a marvelous season in top notch form. Simply sensational.

You may say his meteoric rise above his contemporaries has a lot to do with a dangerous dip in form of key players, the likes of Fazeel and Ashfag. True the young legs of Ashfag is unpredictable, one day he many run through defenders all the way to the goal but the next time trip over his own legs. Oppo surprisingly yet did not attain his full gear, many others below par, only Shamveel among the lot can stake a legitimate claim for title contender, but then it was in Dhivehi League alone. Yet Umar’s class act without any cutting-edge competition is by no means sheen off his majestic display.

His former Maldivian players’ mere shadow of their former selves, he himself  having lived his previous years in their shadows, no doubt this gigantic display by him now cast even bigger shadow on them in this great leveler of football. Just one year ago questions were asked about his ability in front of the goal and his over-indulgence at dribbling. Not to forget how his rising mercury had poor teammates in sheer metal agony. Against a mediocre Mongolia why he couldn’t find the net in World Cup preliminary round was then a raging hot topic.

Yet there he is, standing tall like a monument to claim his rightful slot in Maldivian football history. Sweetly waited so long, the daunting years has been painful. So close yet so far away, since 1998 being counted among the top 3, if not at number one, it has been a long and audacious journey for him. Not having won an award has made his aggressive streak all the more competitive. Very often the sooner you come off the stage crowned the faster you run into a morass of ineptness.

Now at rich VB Sports, he has another five years under his belt before you can write the epitaph of a commanding career of a colossal footballer of his generation. May be few yards short of pace, at 26 he is still running on pretty strong legs; still quite capable to weave his artistry till a day comes when his worn-out legs will revolt, his lungs will refuse to hold up, his mind will hit the ravages of grey matter. Till then who wouldn’t want to see an Ali Umar in Galholhu Stadium kicking a ball. For now wait for the night of 8th January 2007.