# Rizvi Karim Rumi

Rizvi Karim Rumi (Bengali: রিজভী করিম রুমি; born 18 May 1968) is a retired Bangladeshi footballer who played either as a winger or as a striker. Rumi captained the Bangladesh national football team for a brief period between 1992 and 1993. He spent most of his career with Abahani Limited and also had a brief stint in the Calcutta Football League with East Bengal.

## Club career

Rumi started his career in the First Division with Sadharan Bima CSC, in 1984. In his debut season he scored a hat-trick against Azad Sporting Club and finished top-scorer in the DMFA Cup with 6 goals. In 1987, he joined another office club, BRTC. In the same year, Rumi finished joint top scorer alongside Rumman Bin Wali Sabbir, in the Federation Cup.
His performances led to him being scouted by Dhanmondi giants Abahani Limited Dhaka, and he signed for the club on 16 August 1988. During the next 3 years, Rumi went onto win the First Division in 1989–90, the Federation Cup in 1988 and, also the 1990 Independence Cup where Rumi scored a brace against rivals Mohammedan SC in the final. Rumi also finished the 1990 league season as the league's second top goal scorer.
In 1991, during the BTC Clubs Cup held in Bangladesh, to aid cyclone and flood victims, Rumi scored the winner against India's East Bengal Club in the semi-final (2–1). Abahani then went onto defeat rivals Mohammedan in the final to secure the trophy. Rumi's brilliant performances with the Abahani earned him a chance to move abroad, he signed for East Bengal Club in the Calcutta Football League. He was one of three players from Bangladesh that signed for the "Red and Gold Brigade", with Monem Munna and Sheikh Mohammad Aslam joining him in Kolkata in 1991. He won the league title during his lone year at the club, and returned to Abahani the same year. In 1993 he was named the club's captain.
In 1994, Rumi joined fellow title challengers Muktijoddha Sangsad KC, after the gentleman's agreement between the country's three biggest clubs, Abahani, Mohammedan SC and Brothers Union, to lower the salaries of their star players. Nevertheless, Rumi returned to Abahani after two years and won the Federation Cup in 1997. The subsequent season, after suffering from continuous injuries for the past few years, Rumi retired, as one of the finest forwards Bangladesh ever produced.

## Transfer drama

In 1989, Abahani's greatest rivals, Mohammedan wanted to sign Rumi. However, their Iranian coach Nasser Hejazi who was also the coach of the Bangladesh national football team at the time, went against the club's officials, as he did not want to sign the player without Abahani's permission. Rumi, later stated that he did not want to leave as well, as he wanted to play alongside teammate Monem Munna, who was seen as the biggest talent in the country at the time.

## International career

Rumi made his debut for Bangladesh during the 1988 AFC Asian Cup qualifiers. He was a member of the Bangladesh Red team which defeated South Korea University in the 1989 President's Gold Cup. He is well known for scoring a brace against India in the 1991 South Asian Games. Rumi was named the national team captain during the 1992 AFC Asian Cup qualifiers, held in Thailand. His most memorable goal for the country came against Japan during the 1994 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, a game Bangladesh ended up losing 4–1.
He also represented the team during a disappointing 1993 South Asian Games, where hosts Bangladesh were knocked out in the group stages. Rumi's last international tournament was the Qatar Independence Cup 1994, where the Bangladesh national team was represented by Muktijoddha Sangsad KC.

## International goals

    Scores and results list Bangladesh's goal tally first.
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
| 1. | 21 October 1989 | Jinnah Sports Stadium, Islamabad, Pakistan | Sri Lanka | 1–0 | 3–0 | 1989 South Asian Games |
| 2. | 21 October 1989 | Jinnah Sports Stadium, Islamabad, Pakistan | Sri Lanka | 3–0 | 3–0 | 1989 South Asian Games |
| 3. | 26 December 1991 | Sugathadasa Stadium, Colombo, Sri Lanka | India | 1–0 | 2–1 | 1991 South Asian Games |
| 4. | 26 December 1991 | Sugathadasa Stadium, Colombo, Sri Lanka | India | 2–1 | 2–1 | 1991 South Asian Games |
| 5. | 13 April 1993 | Yokohama, Japan | Sri Lanka | 1–0 | 1–0 | 1994 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 6. | 30 April 1993 | Dubai, United Arab Emirates | Japan | 1–1 | 1–4 | 1994 FIFA World Cup qualification |

## International goals for club
### Abahani Limited Dhaka

    Scores and results list Abahani Limited Dhaka goal tally first.
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Result | Competition |
| 1. | February 1991 | Kerala, India | FC Indian Bank | 4–0 | Sait Nagjee Trophy |
| 2. | February 1991 | Kerala, India | FC Indian Bank | 4–0 | Sait Nagjee Trophy |
| 3. | February 1991 | Kerala, India | Travancore Titanium F.C. | 1–0 | Sait Nagjee Trophy |
| 4. | 4 June 1991 | Dhaka, Bangladesh | East Bengal Club | 2–1 | BTC Clubs Cup |

## Personal life

After retiring from playing professional football in 1998, Rumi moved to Canada with his wife and son.

## Honours
### Club

Abahani Limited Dhaka
* Dhaka First Division League: 1989–90, 1992
* Federation Cup: 1985, 1986, 1988
* Sait Nagjee Trophy: 1989
* Independence Cup: 1990
* Azmiri Begum Gold Cup: 1990
* BTC Club Cup: 1991
* DMFA Cup: 1994
* Charms Cup: 1994
East Bengal Club
* Calcutta Football League: 1991
Muktijoddha SKC
* Federation Cup: 1994

### International

Bangladesh
* South Asian Games Silver medal: 1989; Bronze medal: 1991

### Awards and accolades

* 1992 − Sports Writers Association's Best Footballer Award.