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116-616: 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. Saleh and K. P. Dhanraj . The Hindu epic , the Mahabharata , in which the five ( Pancha ) sons of Kuru King Pandu were called " Pandava " inspired the name. They were also nicknamed the VADAS, a collective name formed using their initials. Mamidipalli Appa Rao (1911-1978),

232-558: A hat-trick within five minutes against Maharana Club in the semi-finals. 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. The Pancha Pandavas-led East Bengal team scored 111 goals in 35 matches in their very first season. Their success continued in

348-503: A humid continental climate ( Dfa by the 0 °C isotherm), or a humid subtropical climate ( Köppen : Cfa by the -3 °C isotherm), with hot, humid summers and cold, snowy winters. Owing to its position on the Romanian Plain, the city's winters can get windy, though some of the winds are mitigated due to urbanisation. Winter temperatures often dip below 0 °C (32 °F), sometimes even to −10 °C (14 °F). In summer,

464-515: A 2–1 defeat, with Sarangapani Raman scoring the lone goal for India. India then returned to the Olympics four years later where they took on Yugoslavia in the preliminary rounds. The team suffered a 10–1 defeat, India's largest margin of defeat in a competitive match, and were knocked out. Four years later, during the 1956 Olympics, India managed to reach the semi-finals and finish fourth. After India's first round opponents, Hungary , withdrew from

580-504: A community police force ( Poliția Comunitară ), dealing with local community issues. Bucharest also houses the general inspectorates of the Gendarmerie and the national police . Bucharest's crime rate is rather low in comparison to other European capital cities, with the number of total offences declining by 51% between 2000 and 2004, and by 7% between 2012 and 2013. Bucharest, along with Cluj-Napoca , Timișoara , Brașov and Iași ,

696-572: A failed attempt by German troops to regain the city. After the establishment of communism in Romania , the city continued growing. New districts were constructed, most of them dominated by tower blocks . During Nicolae Ceaușescu 's leadership (1965–89), a part of the historic city was demolished and replaced by ' Socialist realism ' style development: (1) the Centrul Civic (the Civic Centre) and (2)

812-457: A fisherman, a shepherd or a hunter, according to different legends. In Romanian , the word stem bucurie means 'joy' ('happiness'), hence the city Bucharest means 'city of joy'. Other etymologies are given by early scholars, including the one of an Ottoman traveller, Evliya Çelebi , who claimed that Bucharest was named after a certain 'Abu-Kariș', from the tribe of ' Bani-Kureiș '. In 1781, Austrian historian Franz Sulzer claimed that it

928-581: A fully packed Central Dynamo Stadium against Torpedo Moscow. The game ended 3–3 as Venkatesh scored twice and M. Thangaraj scored once for East Bengal as they managed a draw against the 1952 Soviet Cup champions. However, the team was fatigued because of the long tour. The players could not cope with the extreme Russian climate, and the tour took a toll on them as they lost the next three games: 9–1 against Dinamo Tbilisi at Tbilisi , 6–0 against Dynamo Moscow in Moscow and 13–1 against Dynamo Kyiv at Kyiv before

1044-518: A roughly round shape, with the centre situated in the cross-way of the main north–south/east-west axes at University Square . The milestone for Romania's Kilometre Zero is placed just south of University Square in front of the New St. George Church (Sfântul Gheorghe Nou) at St. George Square (Piața Sfântul Gheorghe). Bucharest's radius, from University Square to the city limits in all directions, varies from 10 to 12 km (6 to 7 mi). Until recently,

1160-521: A socially disadvantaged area. Although the presence of street children was a problem in Bucharest in the 1990s, their numbers have declined in recent years, now lying at or below the average of major European capital cities. As stated by the Mercer international surveys for quality of life in cities around the world, Bucharest occupied the 94th place in 2001 and slipped lower, to the 108th place in 2009 and

1276-611: A study published by the United Nations, Bucharest placed 19th among 28 cities that recorded sharp declines in population from 1990 to the mid-2010s. In particular, the population fell by 3.77%. The city's population, according to the 2002 census, was 1,926,334 inhabitants, or 8.9% of the total population of Romania. A significant number of people commute to the city every day, mostly from the surrounding Ilfov County, but official statistics regarding their numbers do not exist. Bucharest's population experienced two phases of rapid growth,

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1392-545: A unique habitat. In May 2016, the lake was declared a national park, the Văcărești Nature Park . Dubbed the 'Delta of Bucharest', the area is protected. Bucharest is situated in the center of the Romanian Plain, in an area once covered by the Vlăsiei Forest, which after it was cleared, gave way for a fertile flatland. As with many cities, Bucharest is traditionally considered to be built upon seven hills, similar to

1508-529: A unique status in Romanian administration, since it is the only municipal area that is not part of a county . Its population, however, is larger than that of any other Romanian county , hence the power of the Bucharest General Municipality ( Primăria Generală ), which is the capital's local government body, is the same as any other Romanian county council. The Municipality of Bucharest, along with

1624-554: Is a city of high population density : 8,260/km (21,400/sq mi), as most of the population lives in high-density communist era apartment blocks ( blocuri ). However, this also depends on the part of the city: the southern boroughs have a higher density than the northern ones. Of the European Union country capital-cities, only Paris and Athens have a higher population density (see List of European Union cities proper by population density ). In addition to blocks of flats built during

1740-410: Is administratively known as the 'Municipality of Bucharest' ( Romanian : Municipiul București ), and has the same administrative level as that of a national county , being further subdivided into six sectors , each governed by a local mayor. The Romanian name București has an unverified origin. Tradition connects the founding of Bucharest with the name of Bucur , who was a prince, an outlaw,

1856-594: Is affiliated with the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and the worldwide football governing body FIFA . The India national football team has entered the regional Asian Cup competition but has never competed in a World Cup . The India women's national football team has also played in competitions, and has its own inter-state and state competitions. Youth football is administered by the Sports Authority of India . The India national football team

1972-421: Is governed by a local mayor, as follows: Sector 1 – Clotilde Armand ( USR , since 2020), Sector 2 – Radu Mihaiu ( USR , since 2020), Sector 3 – Robert Negoiță (PRO B, since 2012), Sector 4 – Daniel Băluță ( PSD , since 2016), Sector 5 – Vlad Popescu Piedone (former mayor Cristian Popescu Piedone's son) (PUSL, since 2024), Sector 6 – Ciprian Ciucu ( PNL , since 2020). Like all other local councils in Romania,

2088-646: Is governed by the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and is a member of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). Since 1948, the AIFF has been affiliated with FIFA , the international governing body for world football. In 1954, the AIFF became one of the founding members of the AFC. The following list includes the performance of all of India's national teams at major competitions. The Indian senior national team had several successes during their initial years but

2204-583: Is headed by a general mayor ( Primar General ). Since 29 October 2020 onwards, it is Nicușor Dan , currently an independent politician previously backed by the PNL - USR PLUS centre-right alliance at the 2020 Romanian local elections . Decisions are approved and discussed by the capital's General Council ( Consiliu General ) made up of 55 elected councilors. Furthermore, the city is divided into six administrative sectors ( sectoare ), each of which has its own 27-seat sectoral council, town hall, and mayor. The powers of

2320-541: Is listed as 'endangered' by the World Monuments Watch (as of 2016). Although many neighbourhoods, particularly in the southern part of the city, lack sufficient green space, being formed of cramped, high-density blocks of flats, Bucharest also has many parks . In 2024, Bucharest was ranked by the digital publication Freaking Nomads as the 9th best city in the world for digital nomads , due to its elaborate and diverse architecture, an arts scene featuring some of

2436-406: Is located in the southern part of the city. Over 190 hectares, including 90 hectares of water, host 97 species of birds, half of them protected by law, and at least seven species of mammals. The lake is surrounded by buildings of flats and is an odd result of human intervention and nature taking its course. The area was a small village that Ceaușescu attempted to convert into a lake. After demolishing

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2552-458: Is more common, particularly in the form of pickpocketing , which occurs mainly on the city's public transport network. Confidence tricks were common in the 1990s, especially in regards to tourists, but the frequency of these incidents has since declined. Theft was reduced by 13.6% in 2013 compared to 2012. Levels of crime are higher in the southern districts of the city, particularly in Ferentari ,

2668-559: Is no longer considered one of the best in Asia. The national team's highest achievement is winning two gold medals at the Asian Games. The women's national team was started in the 1970s; they were twice runners-up in the Women's Asian Cup in the early 1980s. After the AIFF took charge of the team, they began to suffer massive defeats and declined in the late 2000s. In the late 2010s, the AIFF revived

2784-429: Is now. 1951–1962 is widely considered the "golden age" of Indian football. In this period, the national team won numerous titles under the coaching of Syed Abdul Rahim . India won the gold medal in the first Asian Games in 1951 , beating Iran by one goal. In 1956, no longer playing barefoot, India reached the semi-final in the 1956 Melbourne Olympics , becoming the first Asian country to do so and ranking fourth in

2900-739: Is regarded as one of the greatest-ever players to play for East Bengal, was the left inside-forward while the senior Appa Rao was the right inside-forward and the prolific K. P. Dhanraj was the team's centre-forward . 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 . East Bengal won the Calcutta League title with 45 points from 26 matches, scoring 77 goals. The star-studded East Bengal lineup

3016-541: Is the capital and largest city of Romania . The metropolis stands on the River Dâmbovița in south-eastern Romania. Its population is officially estimated at 1.76 million residents within a greater metropolitan area of 2.3 million residents, which makes Bucharest the 8th most-populous city in the European Union . The city area measures 240 km (93 sq mi) and comprises 6 districts ( Sectoare ), while

3132-451: Is the first time ever India qualified consecutively for the continental championship. India competed in four straight Olympic football tournaments between 1948 and 1960. Their sole 1948 Olympics match against France was also India's first ever international match since the country gained independence in 1947. During the match, a majority of the Indian side played barefoot. The match ended in

3248-500: Is the top league, followed by I-League , I-League 2 and I-League 3 . I-League 3 currently acts as a final round for the top teams in the state leagues that are nominated by state football associations . India has several cup tournaments, including the Durand Cup , Super Cup and IFA Shield . The competitions currently active in Indian football in the 2023–24 season . The competitions currently active in Indian football in

3364-490: The 1948 Olympics squad, joined East Bengal in 1949; all were from Mysore. Together they played for five seasons and earned the nickname "Pancha Pandavas" from East Bengal fans as they established one of the most successful eras for the East Bengal club. The Pancha Pandavas were all forwards, playing in the traditional 2-3-5 formation . Venkatesh and Saleh were the right and left outside-forwards respectively, Ahmed Khan, who

3480-516: The 2015 edition . India beat Thailand by 4–1, their biggest-ever win at the Asia Cup and their first win in 55 years. Nevertheless, they lost both of their next two group matches against UAE and Bahrain by 0−2 and 0−1 respectively and finished at the bottom of the group, thus failing to move to the knockout stage. Football in India is administered by the All India Football Federation (AIFF) , which

3596-766: The 2023–24 season . As of 2023 , few of India's national football stadiums meet current world standards. The largest football stadiums in India are the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata with a seating capacity of 68,000 and the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi with a capacity of over 60,000. The Barabati Stadium in Cuttack and Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar are major arenas for football events in Odisha . In Sikkim,

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3712-589: The COTIF cup, as well as Iraq U-16 , the defending champions of the AFC U-16 Championship (now the AFC U-17 Championship), by 1–0. The U-16 team qualified for the 2018 AFC U-16 Championship , where they came close to qualifying for the 2019 FIFA U-17 World Cup , but lost to South Korea by a single goal in the quarterfinal. The Indian national team qualified for the 2019 AFC Asian Cup after missing

3828-541: The Constitutional Court of Romania . Bucharest has a municipal police force, the Bucharest Police ( Poliția București ), which is responsible for policing crime within the whole city, and operates a number of divisions. The Bucharest Police are headquartered on Ștefan cel Mare Blvd. in the city centre, and at precincts throughout the city. From 2004 onwards, each sector city hall also has under its administration

3944-596: The FIFA U-17 World Cup in front of 47,000 people against the United States, losing the match 0–3. India played their second match against Colombia. In the 82nd minute, Jeakson Singh became the first Indian goal scorer in the finals of a FIFA-organised tournament. For the third match of the group stage, India played Ghana, losing the match 4–0 and finishing at the bottom of Group A. In 2018 Indian youth football teams made history by defeating Argentina U-20 2–1 in

4060-942: The Fatorda Stadium in Goa , the Kaloor International Stadium in Kochi , the Municipal Corporation Stadium in Kozhikode , the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Guwahati and the EKA Arena in Ahmedabad . There are hundreds of other stadiums in the country. The following stadiums are affiliated by All India Football Federation . Note. † denotes stadiums that have hosted international football matches. The Nehru Cup

4176-661: The Mastercard Global Index of Urban Destinations. As for the past two consecutive years, 2018 and 2019, Bucharest ranked as the European destination with the highest potential for development according to the same study. Economically, Bucharest is the most prosperous city in Romania and the richest capital and city in the region, having surpassed Budapest since 2017. The city has a number of large convention facilities, educational institutes, cultural venues, traditional 'shopping arcades' and recreational areas. The city proper

4292-692: The Palace of the Parliament , for which an entire historic quarter was razed to make way for Ceaușescu's megalomaniac plans. On 4 March 1977, an earthquake centred in Vrancea , about 135 km (83.89 mi) away, claimed 1,500 lives and caused further damage to the historic centre. The Romanian Revolution of 1989 began with massive anti-Ceaușescu protests in Timișoara in December 1989 and continued in Bucharest, leading to

4408-508: The Soviet Union , where they played a series of friendly exhibition matches, famously drawing 3–3 against Torpedo Moscow in Moscow , with two goals from Venkatesh and one from M. Thangaraj. The team returned from Europe to participate in the IFA Shield and reached the final where they faced Indian Cultural League. However, after the first two days ending in a stalemate, on the third day East Bengal

4524-596: The homicide rate of Bucharest was 0,8 per 100,000 people. Crime in Bucharest is combated by national forces, such as the Romanian Police and Romanian Gendarmerie , and by local forces, such as the Local Police of Bucharest. Although in the 2000s, a number of police crackdowns on organised crime gangs occurred, such as the Cămătaru clan, organised crime generally has little impact on public life. Petty crime, however,

4640-511: The team on their maiden voyage in Europe. In the first match of the tournament, they defeated the Austrian side Grazer SC 2–0 with both the goals scored by M Thangaraj. In their next game, they defeated Lebanon Club 6–1 with M Thangaraj scoring a hat-trick while Ahmed Khan, Venkatesh and Masood Fakhri scored the other three. East Bengal reached the semi-finals where they faced the hosts Romania. The team

4756-411: The urban area , the proposed metropolitan area of Bucharest would have a population of 2.3 million people. In 2020, the government used 2.5 million people as the basis for pandemic reports. Bucharest is the eighth largest city in the European Union by population within city limits. In 2017, Bucharest was the European city with the highest growth of tourists who stay over night, according to

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4872-465: The 107th place in 2010. Compared to it, Vienna occupied number one worldwide in 2011 and 2009. Warsaw ranked 84th, Istanbul 112th, and neighbours Sofia 114th and Belgrade 136th (in the 2010 rankings). Mercer Human Resource Consulting issues yearly a global ranking of the world's most livable cities based on 39 key quality-of-life issues. Among them: political stability, currency-exchange regulations, political and media censorship, school quality, housing,

4988-641: The 1890s. Calcutta was then the capital of British India and soon became the hub of football. Tournaments like the Gladstone Cup , the Trades Cup and the Cooch Behar Cup were started around this time. The Durand Cup and IFA Shield were both started in the late nineteenth century. The first Indian team to achieve success was Sovabazar Club, which won the Trades Cup in 1892. Mohun Bagan Athletic Club , which

5104-646: The 1950 FIFA World Cup, India did not enter the qualifying rounds of the tournament between 1954 and 1982 . Since the 1986 qualifiers , with the exception of the 1990 edition of the tournament, the team participated in World Cup qualification, but has yet to qualify for the finals again. India has qualified for the AFC Asian Cup five times. The team played their first Asian Cup in 1964 . The team managed to qualify following other nations' refusal to play against India due to political reasons. India managed to finish

5220-597: The 1990s, the women's team rapidly declined and a series of defeats followed. In 2009, FIFA delisted the Indian women's team from the world rankings. In August 2007, the Indian national team won the Nehru Cup for the first time, beating Syria 1–0. In August of the following year, India defeated Tajikistan 4–1 to win the AFC Challenge Cup and qualified for the 2011 AFC Asian Cup in Qatar. In August 2009, India again won

5336-941: The 30,000-capacity Paljor Stadium in Gangtok is famous as one of the most beautiful stadiums in the world because of its backdrop of the Himalayas. The main stadium in Shillong is the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium with a capacity of 30,000 standing. Both the Paljor and the JLN in Shillong have been renovated with artificial playing surfaces . Some other important stadiums are the Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex in Pune , Barasat Stadium in Barasat ,

5452-521: The All India Football Federation. [REDACTED] International football in India generally takes place between September and November according to FIFA men's match calendar, and between February-July/October-December for women. The Indian national football team has also provided some of the greatest players, the example of which is Sunil Chhetri . As of 2023 , India has four national-level leagues. The Indian Super League

5568-535: The Bucharest Tribunal ( Tribunalul Bucureşti ), the city's municipal court. The Bucharest Court of Appeal ( Curtea de Apel Bucureşti ) judges appeals against decisions taken by first-instance courts and tribunals in Bucharest and in five surrounding counties (Teleorman, Ialomița, Giurgiu, Călărași, and Ilfov). Bucharest is also home to Romania's supreme court, the High Court of Cassation and Justice , as well as to

5684-417: The Bucharest sectoral councils, the capital's general council , and the mayors are elected every four years by the population. Additionally, Bucharest has a prefect , who is appointed by Romania's national government. The prefect is not allowed to be a member of a political party and his role is to represent the national government at the municipal level. The prefect is acting as a liaison official facilitating

5800-584: The DCM Trophy final, with K. P. Dhanraj scoring a hat-trick and Bhaba Roy scoring the fourth goal for East Bengal. In 1953, the last year the Pancha Pandavas played together at East Bengal, the Calcutta League was abandoned midway and the club travelled to Bucharest to participate in the World Youth Festival where they finished fourth. Their performance at the tournament earned them an invitation from

5916-477: The Indian team in the 2012 AFC Challenge Cup qualifiers. After going first in their AFC Challenge Cup group, Houghton was replaced by Wim Koevermans . The India national under-23 football team won the first round of the 2012 Olympics qualifiers against Myanmar but were eliminated by Qatar. India played their next official matches against United Arab Emirates in the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, which India lost on aggregate 5–2. In 2014, India hosted

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6032-627: The Indian team was a special one as they became the first ever Asian Games gold medalists in football. Though the next two tournaments proved to be less successful for the team, they bounced back by winning gold at the 1962 Asian games by defeating the Asian Cup winners South Korea. The team failed to defend their title in 1966 and went on to claim the bronze medal in 1970 . Bucharest Bucharest ( UK : / ˌ b uː k ə ˈ r ɛ s t / BOO -kə- REST , US : / ˈ b uː k ə r ɛ s t / -⁠rest ; Romanian : București [bukuˈreʃtʲ] )

6148-419: The Nehru Cup, beating Syria on penalties (6–5). In January 2011, India played in the 2011 Asian Cup , the country's first Asian Cup for 24 years. India was eliminated in the group stage, which included South Korea , Australia , and Bahrain . Since the 2011 Asian Cup, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) has been working to improve Indian football. They allowed former coach Bob Houghton to coach

6264-499: The Pancha Pandavas-led East Bengal team also enjoyed success against international opponents. Post Independence of India, East Bengal's first match against a foreign opponent was on 14 July 1948, when they faced China's Olympic Team at the East Bengal-Mohun Bagan Ground . East Bengal defeated them 2–0 with goals from Appa Rao and Saleh. 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

6380-409: The Russian departure (remaining in the city until March 1857). On 23 March 1847, a fire consumed about 2,000 buildings, destroying a third of the city. In 1862, after Wallachia and Moldavia were united to form the Principality of Romania , Bucharest became the new nation's capital city. In 1881, it became the political centre of the newly proclaimed Kingdom of Romania under King Carol I . During

6496-409: The World Cup. The AIFF had organised training is Calcutta for the 1950 World Cup and the board organised a series of meetings relating to India's participation but was not able to reach a decision. One to two weeks before the World Cup, the AIFF resorted to coming up with excuses to abandon the World Cup trip. This did not face much criticism in 1948 because the FIFA World Cup was not as popular as it

6612-512: The average high temperature is 29.8 °C (85.6 °F) (the average for July and August). Temperatures frequently reach 35 to 40 °C (95 to 104 °F) in midsummer in the city centre. Although average precipitation in summer is moderate, occasional heavy storms occur. During spring and autumn, daytime temperatures vary between 17 and 22 °C (63 and 72 °F), and precipitation during spring tends to be higher than in summer, with more frequent yet milder periods of rain. Bucharest has

6728-411: The best football team in Asia. 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. They also won the Delhi-double , first successfully defending the Durand Cup title by defeating Hyderabad Police 1–0 in the final and then defeating 8th Gorkha Rifles 4–0 in

6844-420: The city has been experiencing an economic and cultural boom. It is one of the fastest-growing high-tech cities in Europe, according to the Financial Times , CBRE , TechCrunch , and others. In 2016, the historical city centre was listed as 'endangered' by the World Monuments Watch . In January 2023, there were 1.74 million inhabitants living within the city limits, and adding the satellite towns around

6960-432: The city was hit by Caragea's plague . The city was wrested from Ottoman influence and occupied at several intervals by the Habsburg monarchy (1716, 1737, 1789) and Imperial Russia (three times between 1768 and 1806). It was placed under Russian administration between 1828 and the Crimean War , with an interlude during the Bucharest-centred 1848 Wallachian revolution . Later, an Austrian garrison took possession after

7076-448: The city was the scene of the Legionnaires' rebellion and Bucharest pogrom . As the capital of an Axis country and a major transit point for Axis troops en route to the Eastern Front , Bucharest suffered heavy damage during World War II due to Allied bombings . On 23 August 1944, Bucharest was the site of the royal coup which brought Romania into the Allied camp. The city suffered a short period of Nazi Luftwaffe bombings, as well as

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7192-445: The club while Ahmed Khan and Appa Rao remained for a few more years until their retirement—Rao in 1955 and Ahmed Khan in 1959. During the Pancha Pandavas era, East Bengal won 11 major trophies which included three Calcutta Football League titles (1949, 1950, 1952), three back-to-back IFA Shield titles (1949, 1950, 1951), two Durand Cup titles (1951, 1952), one Rovers Cup (1949) and two DCM trophies (1950, 1952). Apart from domestic success,

7308-655: The communist era, there are also older interwar ones, as well as newer ones built in the 1990s and in the 21st century. Although apartment buildings are strongly associated with the communist era, such housing schemes were first introduced in Bucharest in the 1920s. About 97.3% of the population of Bucharest for whom data are available is Romanian . Other significant ethnic groups are Romani , Hungarians, Turks, Jews , Germans (mostly Regat Germans ), Chinese, Russians, Ukrainians, and Italians. A relatively small number of Bucharesters are also Greeks , Armenians, Kurds, Bulgarians, Albanians, Poles, French, Arabs, Africans (including

7424-415: The early 1960s caused the Indian national team to gradually lose their position as a top Asian team. India has not qualified for the Olympics since 1960. India qualified for their first Asian Cup in 1964 but failed to win the title. In an international tournament at the 1970 Asian Games, India won the bronze medal after defeating Japan 1–0. The Indian national team qualified for the 1984 AFC Asian Cup for

7540-417: The early settlements in antiquity until its consolidation as the national capital of Romania late in the 19th century. First mentioned as the ' Citadel of București' in 1459, it became the residence of the ruler of Wallachia, Voivode Vlad the Impaler . The Old Princely Court ( Curtea Veche ) was erected by Mircea Ciobanul in the mid-16th century. Under subsequent rulers, Bucharest was established as

7656-633: The environment, and public safety. Mercer collects data worldwide, in 215 cities. The difficult situation of the quality of life in Bucharest is confirmed also by a vast urbanism study, done by the Ion Mincu University of Architecture and Urbanism . In 2016, Bucharest's urban situation was described as 'critical' by a Romanian Order of Architects (OAR) report that criticised the city's weak, incoherent and arbitrary public management policies, its elected officials' lack of transparency and public engagement, as well as its inadequate and unsustainable use of essential urban resources. Bucharest's historical city centre

7772-438: The expenses required in getting the team to Brazil . But this reason was untrue because FIFA was ready to give money to India (AIFF) for their trip to Brazil. Other reasons cited for why India withdrew include FIFA not allowing Indian players to play in the tournament barefoot and the All India Football Federation not considering the FIFA World Cup an important tournament compared to the Olympics . After withdrawing from

7888-449: The final with P.B.A. Saleh scoring both goals. The team also won their first Durand Cup title as they defeated Rajasthan Club 2–1 in the final with goals from Ahmed Khan and Venkatesh, and became the first Indian team to win the IFA Shield and Durand Cup in the same year. 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

8004-442: The financial barrier was solved as state associations provided financial help to the AIFF and that FIFA also promised to provide money. FIFA had imposed a rule banning barefoot play following the 1948 Olympics where India had played barefoot. According to then-captain Shailen Manna , this story was circulated to justify the AIFF's decision to not participate. Since 1950, the Indian national team has not come close to qualifying for

8120-399: The first Unity World Cup in Goa , Hyderabad and Bangalore . India has participated in and hosted the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup tournament. This was the first time a team representing India participated in the finals of a FIFA-organised world tournament. India was placed in Group A along with the United States , Ghana and Colombia . On 6 October 2017, India played their first match in

8236-460: The first Indian to appear with the English Football League club Arsenal in 1930. India qualified by default for the 1950 FIFA World Cup in Brazil because all of their scheduled opponents withdrew. India did not compete in the tournament. It was not because of a lack of financial assistance, particularly to purchase tickets for the sea journey, or because the team were not allowed to play barefoot. According to sports journalist Jaydeep Basu ,

8352-543: The first beginning in the late 19th century when the city was consolidated as the national capital and lasting until the Second World War, and the second during the Ceaușescu years (1965–1989), when a massive urbanization campaign was launched and many people migrated from rural areas to the capital. At this time, due to Ceaușescu's decision to ban abortion and contraception, natural increase was also significant. Bucharest

8468-609: The first time since 1964 but failed to qualify for the knockout stage after finishing last in their group of five teams. The Indian youth team jointly won the Youth Asian Cup with Iran in 1974 , the first and only title for India at the youth level. In club football, on 24 September 1977, Mohun Bagan held onto a 2–2 draw at the Eden Gardens stadium in Calcutta, against a Pelé -led New York Cosmos . Mohun Bagan would have won

8584-486: The following season as East Bengal won the Calcutta League with K. P. Dhanraj winning the top scorer award with 18 goals and the IFA Shield by defeating Services XI 3–0 in the final. The club also won the DCM trophy defeating 8th Gorkha Rifles 2–0 in the final with Venkatesh scoring both goals. In 1951, although the club failed to win the Calcutta League, they completed a hat-trick of IFA Shield wins as they defeated Mohun Bagan 2–0 in

8700-700: The game's only goal. Former Indian footballer Chuni Goswami said, "Ahmed Khan was the best among the Pancha Pandavas." In 1953, the East Bengal team toured Romania and the Soviet Union, the first Indian team to tour Europe. The Calcutta Football League was abandoned midway because of riots in Kolkata. East Bengal management received an invitation to participate in the World Youth Congress to be held at Bucharest, Romania. Captain Ahmed Khan and secretary J.C. Guha led

8816-623: The gardens are the main recreational facility in the city centre. Bucharest parks and gardens also include Herăstrău Park , Tineretului Park and the Botanical Garden . Herăstrău Park is located in the northern part of the city, around Lake Herăstrău, and includes the site the Village Museum . Grigore Antipa Museum is also near in the Victoriei Square. One of its best known locations are Hard Rock Cafe Bucharest and Berăria H (one of

8932-432: The group in last place, drawing once. India have since failed to qualify for another Olympic games. India competed in eleven Asian Games, starting from 1951 to 1998 , except the 1990 and 1994 editions. In 1951 Asian Games India won their first match against Indonesia in the first round and then defeated Japan in semi-final and went on to win against Iran in the final in front of the home crowd. The achievement of

9048-416: The houses and building the concrete basin, the plan was abandoned following the 1989 revolution. For nearly two decades, the area shifted from being an abandoned green space where children could play and sunbathe, to being contested by previous owners of the land there, to being closed for redevelopment into a sports centre. The redevelopment deal failed, and over the following years, the green space grew into

9164-469: The implementation of national development plans and governing programs at local level. The prefect of Bucharest (as of 2024) is Mihai Mugur Toader. The city's general council has the following political composition, based on the results of the 2024 local elections : Bucharest's judicial system is similar to that of the Romanian counties. Each of the six sectors has its own local first-instance court ( judecătorie ), while more serious cases are directed to

9280-513: The interwar years, Bucharest's urban development continued, with the city gaining an average of 30,000 new residents each year. Also, some of the city's main landmarks were built in this period, including Arcul de Triumf and Palatul Telefoanelor . However, the Great Depression in Romania took its toll on Bucharest's citizens, culminating in the Grivița Strike of 1933 . In January 1941,

9396-509: The largest beer halls in Europe). Tineretului Park was created in 1965 and designed as the main recreational space for southern Bucharest. It contains a Mini Town which is a play area for kids. The Botanical Garden, located in the Cotroceni neighbourhood a bit west of the city centre, is the largest of its kind in Romania and contains over 10,000 species of plants (many of them exotic); it originated as

9512-428: The local government over a certain area are, therefore, shared both by the Bucharest municipality and the local sectoral councils with little or no overlapping of authority. The general rule is that the main capital municipality is responsible for citywide utilities such as the water and sewage system, the overall transport system, and the main boulevards, while sectoral town halls manage the contact between individuals and

9628-425: The local government, secondary streets and parks maintenance, schools administration, and cleaning services. The six sectors are numbered from one to six and are disposed radially so that each one has under its administration a certain area of the city centre. They are numbered clockwise and are further divided into sectoral quarters ( cartiere ) which are not part of the official administrative division: Each sector

9744-544: The metropolitan area covers 1,811 km (699 sq mi). Bucharest is a beta global city , a major cultural, political and economic hub, and the country's seat of government. Bucharest was first mentioned in documents in 1459. The city became the capital in 1862 and is the centre of Romanian media, culture, and art. Its architecture is a mix of historical (mostly Eclectic , but also Neoclassical and Art Nouveau ), interbellum ( Bauhaus , Art Deco , and Romanian Revival architecture ), socialist era , and modern . In

9860-772: The mid-2000s. In 2015, 64 people were killed in the Colectiv nightclub fire . Later the Romanian capital saw the 2017–2019 Romanian protests against the judicial reforms, with a 2018 protest ending with 450 people injured. The following treaties were signed in the city: The city is situated on the banks of the Dâmbovița River , which flows into the Argeș River, a tributary of the Danube. Several lakes  – the most important of which are Lake Herăstrău, Lake Floreasca, Lake Tei, and Lake Colentina – stretch across

9976-528: The mid-nineteenth century. Games were initially played between army teams but clubs were soon set up around the country. In 1872, Calcutta FC was the first football club to be established, though the side may have originated as a rugby club that switched codes as late as 1894. Other early clubs include Dalhousie AC , Traders Club and Naval Volunteers Club. Several other football clubs such as Sovabazar, Mohun Bagan and Aryan Club were established in Calcutta in

10092-631: 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. Appa Rao was part of the East Bengal squad that won their first-ever Calcutta Football League title in 1942 and the IFA Shield title in 1943. P.B.A. Saleh, who hailed from Kottayam Kerala, joined the club in 1945, and helped them win their first League and Shield double in his first season. Pansanttom Venkatesh joined in 1948, while India national football team members Ahmed Khan and K. P. Dhanraj, who were part of

10208-611: The nickname of 'Paris of the East' ( Parisul Estului ), with the Calea Victoriei as its Champs-Élysées . Between 6 December 1916 and November 1918, the city was occupied by German forces as a result of the Battle of Bucharest , with the official capital temporarily moved to Iași (also called Jassy), in the Moldavia region. After World War I, Bucharest became the capital of Greater Romania . In

10324-567: The northern parts of the city, along the Colentina River , a tributary of the Dâmbovița. In addition, in the centre of the capital is a small artificial lake – Lake Cișmigiu – surrounded by the Cișmigiu Gardens . These gardens have a rich history, having been frequented by poets and writers. Opened in 1847 and based on the plans of German architect Carl F.W. Meyer,

10440-584: The overthrow of the Communist regime . Dissatisfied with the postrevolutionary leadership of the National Salvation Front , some student leagues and opposition groups organised anti-Communist rallies in early 1990, which caused the political change. Since 2000, the city has been continuously modernised. Residential and commercial developments are underway, particularly in the northern districts; Bucharest's old historic centre has undergone restoration since

10556-475: The period between the two World Wars, the city's elegant architecture and the sophistication of its elite earned Bucharest the nicknames of Little Paris ( Romanian : Micul Paris ) or Paris of the East ( Romanian : Parisul Estului ). Although buildings and districts in the historic city centre were heavily damaged or destroyed by war, earthquakes, and even Nicolae Ceaușescu 's program of systematization , many survived and have been renovated. In recent years,

10672-411: The pleasure park of the royal family. Besides them, there are many other smaller parks that should be visited, some of them being still large. Alexandru Ioan Cuza Park, Kiseleff Park, Carol Park , Izvor Park, Grădina Icoanei , Circului Park and Moghioroș Park are a few of them. Other large parks in Bucharest are: National Park, Tei Park, Eroilor Park and Crângași Park with Morii Lake . Lake Văcărești

10788-453: The record for almost four decades until he was overtaken by Chima Okorie in the 90s. Venkatesh scored 80 goals for the club, leaving the club as its fourth all-time highest scorer. Ahmed Khan had 63 goals to his name, Appa Rao scored 61 goals while P.B.A. Saleh had 55. Indian football Association football is one of the most popular sports in India . The 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup

10904-543: The regions surrounding Bucharest were largely rural, but after 1989, suburbs started to be built around Bucharest, in the surrounding Ilfov County . This county , which has experienced rapid demographic growth in the 21st century, being the fastest growing Romanian county between 2011 and 2021, had a population of 542,686 people at the 2021 Romanian census . In the 21st century, many of Ilfov county's villages and communes developed into high-income commuter towns , which act like suburbs or satellites of Bucharest. Bucharest has

11020-514: The second half of the 19th century, the city's population increased dramatically, and a new period of urban development began. During this period, gas lighting , horse-drawn trams , and limited electrification were introduced. The Dâmbovița River was also massively channelled in 1883, thus putting a stop to previously endemic floods like the 1865 flooding of Bucharest . The Fortifications of Bucharest were built. The extravagant architecture and cosmopolitan high culture of this period won Bucharest

11136-508: The seven hills of Rome. Bucharest's seven hills are: Mihai Vodă, Dealul Mitropoliei , Radu Vodă, Cotroceni , Dealul Spirii , Văcărești , and Sfântu Gheorghe Nou. The city has an area of 226 km (87 sq mi). The altitude varies from 55.8 m (183.1 ft) at the Dâmbovița bridge in Cățelu, southeastern Bucharest and 91.5 m (300.2 ft) at the Militari church. The city has

11252-576: The summer residence of the royal court. During the years to come, it competed with Târgoviște on the status of capital city after an increase in the importance of Southern Muntenia brought about by the demands of the suzerain power – the Ottoman Empire . Bucharest finally became the permanent location of the Wallachian court after 1698 (starting with the reign of Constantin Brâncoveanu ). The city

11368-518: The surrounding Ilfov County, is part of the București – Ilfov development region project, which is equivalent to NUTS-II regions in the European Union and is used both by the EU and the Romanian government for statistical analysis, and to co-ordinate regional development projects and manage funds from the EU. The Bucharest-Ilfov development region is not, however, an administrative entity yet. The city government

11484-458: The team returned to India. The penta-forward attacking lineup that led East Bengal scored 347 goals in five seasons between 1949 and 1953, of which the Pandavas scored 260 goals. K. P. Dhanraj became the second East Bengal player to score 100 goals for the club and surpassed A.C. Somana, who had 102 goals to his name, to become the all-time top scorer for East Bengal with 127 goals. K. P. Dhanraj held

11600-424: The team to empower women's football and the team performed well in a large number of friendlies. The AIFF won the hosting bid for the 2022 AFC Women's Asian Cup . Includes U-19 and U-18 teams' performance. Includes U-16 and U-15 teams' performance. Includes U-19 and U-18 teams' performance. Includes U-16 and U-15 teams' performance. There are currently 36 state associations and 2 affiliates associations with

11716-483: The tie had it not been for a controversial penalty awarded to the visiting team that ensured the draw. The next day, the newspaper Ananda Bazar Patrika described Goutam Sarkar as "India's very own Beckenbaur". The Indian women's team as they began playing in the 1970s. In 1975, their first manager was Sushil Bhattacharya . The Indian women's team were runners-up in the AFC Women's Asian Cup in 1980 and 1983 . In

11832-491: The tournament as runners-up to hosts Israel , with Inder Singh finishing as joint top-scorer. Since then, India has failed to progress beyond the first round of the Asian Cup, with their participation at the 1984 and 2011 Asian Cups, and most recently the 2019 Asian Cup . In June 2022, India qualified for the 2023 AFC Asian Cup after winning all the matches in the third round of 2023 AFC Asian Cup qualification . This

11948-479: The tournament, the team played against hosts Australia in the quarter-finals. A Neville D'Souza hat-trick, the first by an Asian footballer in the Olympics, helped India win 4–2. However, in the semi-finals, India once again suffered defeat against Yugoslavia, going down 4–1. In the bronze medal match, India were defeated 3–0 by Bulgaria . In 1960, India competed in Group D with Hungary, France and Peru . India ended

12064-644: The tournament. In 1962, India again won the gold in the Asian Games at Jakarta , defeating South Korea 2–1. India also won the Merdeka Cup and the Asian Quadrangular Football Tournament , while East Bengal garnered good reviews after touring Romania. Also in 1951, India achieved their highest World Football Elo Rating of 31. According to former FIFA president Sepp Blatter , India is "the sleeping giant of world football". Rahim's death in

12180-453: The world’s best galleries, museums, and theatres, and its tranquil parks. As per the 2021 census , 1,716,961 inhabitants lived within the city limits, a decrease from the figure recorded at the 2011 census. This decrease is due to low natural increase, but also to a shift in population from the city itself to its smaller satellite towns such as Popești-Leordeni , Voluntari , Chiajna , Bragadiru , Pantelimon , Buftea and Otopeni . In

12296-462: Was an international invitational association football tournament organised by the AIFF and named after the First Prime Minister of India Jawaharlal Nehru . The Tri-Nation Series is a three-team football tournament organised by the AIFF. The first edition was held in 2017. The Intercontinental Cup is a four-team association football tournament organised by the AIFF. The first edition

12412-437: Was defeated 4–0 in the semi-final, and lost again to Germany in the third-place play-offs to finish fourth in the tournament. Their play at the World Youth Congress earned East Bengal an invitation from the Soviet Union to play a series of friendlies against the top Soviet football teams. East Bengal travelled directly from Bucharest to Moscow and on 21 August 1953, they played their first friendly exhibition game in front of

12528-440: Was established in Calcutta in 1893 but had no Indians on its board until the 1930s. The All India Football Federation (AIFF), the national governing body of football in India, was formed in 1937 but did not become affiliated with FIFA until at least a decade later. India insisted on playing barefoot whereas other national sides wore boots. Footballer Jyotish Chandra Guha brought global attention to Indian football when he became

12644-587: Was held in 2018. A red box around the year indicates tournaments played within India India has never played in the finals of the FIFA World Cup . After gaining independence in 1947, India managed to qualify for the World Cup held in 1950 . This was due to Myanmar , Indonesia , and the Philippines withdrawing from qualification round . However, prior to the start of the tournament, India withdrew due to

12760-450: Was on a scoring spree in the IFA Shield too as they defeated: EIR 2–0 in the first round, Delhi Raisina Sporting 4–0 in the second round, Silchar Town 6–0 in the quarter-finals and Maharana Club 8–0 in the semi-finals, and arch-rivals Mohun Bagan 2–0 in the final. With Venkatesh and Ahmed Khan scoring the goals in the final, they scored 22 goals in five matches as they lifted the IFA Shield trophy. K.P. Dhanraj alone scored 10 goals, including

12876-409: Was partly destroyed by natural disasters and rebuilt several times during the following 200 years. The Ottomans appointed Greek administrators ( Phanariotes ) to run the town ( Ottoman Turkish : بكرش , romanized :  Bukreş ) from the 18th century. The 1821 Wallachian uprising initiated by Tudor Vladimirescu led to the end of the rule of Constantinople Greeks in Bucharest. In 1813–14

12992-405: Was ranked among the top 100 safest cities in the world in a list compiled by Numbeo. The study found Bucharest to be very safe with regard to aspects such walking alone, home invasions, muggings, cars being stolen, assault, insults, assault due to skin color, ethnic origin, or gender, drug dealing, and armed robberies, with the only crimes in the high category being corruption and bribery. In 2015,

13108-483: Was related to bucurie (joy), bucuros (joyful), or a se bucura (to be joyful), while an early 19th-century book published in Vienna assumed its name to be derived from 'Bukovie', a beech forest. In English , the city's name was formerly rendered as Bukarest . A native or resident of Bucharest is called a 'Bucharester' (Romanian: bucureștean ). Bucharest's history alternated periods of development and decline from

13224-524: Was scratched from the final after fielding two Pakistani players Masood Fakhri and Niaz Ahmed, and the Indian Football Association suspended East Bengal from all football activities until 31 December 1954. The club, however, fought a legal battle, and the IFA revoked the suspension later, but this marked the end of the Pancha Pandavas era at East Bengal. In 1954, Venkatesh, Saleh and Dhanraj left

13340-420: Was set up in modern-day West Bengal in 1889, became famous in 1911 when it became the first Indian team to win the IFA Shield , a tournament previously won only by British teams based in India. They defeated East Yorkshire Regiment 2–1 in the tournament's final in a victory that is still regarded as one of the greatest win by an Indian football team before independence. The Indian Football Association (IFA)

13456-471: Was the first FIFA event the country hosted. It was called the most successful FIFA U-17 World Cup ever, with a record-breaking attendance of 1,347,133, exceeding China 's record of 1,230,976 from 1985. India also hosted the 2022 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup and bid to host the 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup . The Indian national football team qualified for the 1950 FIFA World Cup but did not participate. British soldiers introduced football into India in

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