Hammoud Sultan.. the legendary Gulf Cup goalkeeper who dreamed of the title but did not achieve it
Not only is he one of the most famous Bahraini goalkeepers, but in the Arab world, the legend of the Bahraini goalkeeping as he was called, who played 9 copies of the Arab Gulf Cup and achieved the title of the best goalkeeper 3 times, and retired after exceeding 40 years.
He is the star Hammoud Sultan, who was born in January 1956 in Muharraq, and began his football career in the early seventies, which he spent entirely with Muharraq Club, to be at that time the second player in the world to play with the slogan of one team for a long period of 24 years (1974-1998), Sultan played at the beginning of his career without gloves, until the Yugoslav coach Protic asked him to wear them.
Sultan won the title of best goalkeeper in Asia 1994 after he led Al-Muharraq to the final of the Asian Clubs Cup, but lost the title to Iranian Persepolis with a goal without a response.
He shone remarkably with the Bahraini Reds during the Gulf Cup tournaments, starting with the fourth edition that was held in Doha in 1976, and he participated in the tournament in 1979, 1982 and 1984, and the injury caused his absence from the eighth edition that was held in Bahrain 1986, before he returned to participate in the following editions 1988, 1990, 1992, 1994 and 1996, to be the most Gulf player participating in the tournament.
Hammoud Sultan won the title of best goalkeeper in the Gulf championship three times, in 1976, 1990 in the tenth Gulf tournament, and the third time came in 1992, and he dreamed of lifting the championship cup, but that was not achieved as the Kuwaiti blue dominated the tournament with its big names as Sultan said.
Hammoud Sultan attracted attention to him due to his technical capabilities and high efficiency, and he received many professional offers, but the law of the game in Bahrain did not allow professionalism at the time, and prevented him from achieving his dream, which he was fondling throughout his career, as he received an offer from the Emirati Al-Ahly in 1983, also the English club Manchester city wanted to include him, and he made an offer while he was with the national team in a preparatory camp in England, but the sports officials in his country rejected the idea.
Despite his retirement a long time ago, Hammoud Sultan’s achievements, titles and numbers are still present with the Bahraini national team and the Gulf Cup.