Indian football legend Chuni Goswami passes away aged 82
Former Indian International footballer Chuni Goswami breathed his last at the age of 82 in Kolkata this Thursday evening. Apart from his glamorous football career, Goswami was an equally talented cricketer and captained the East Zone side in domestic tournaments after ending his football ties.
Chuni Goswami was arguably one of the greatest footballers India have ever produced, having led the national side to a historic Gold medal win in the 1962 Asian Games in Jakarta and also a runner-up finish in the 1964 AFC Asian Cup in Tel Aviv. His contributions in the 1956 and 1960 Olympic Games and the Merdeka Cup are also unparalleled, forming the famous trio with P.K. Banerjee and Tulsidas Balaram which a nightmare for rival defenders. Â
Goswamiâs club career was as illustrious as his International one; having played 14 years at Mohun Bagan and helping them win a plethora of trophies at the domestic level. He was one of the few players to have remained loyal to one club throughout his career and snubbed several offers from other clubs, including one from English club Tottenham Hotspurs, where he was invited for a trial.Â
The forward hung up his boots at the 27, to focus on his cricket career, which was no less eventful, having played 46 matches for Bengal in the Ranji Trophy and even captained the East Zone side. It was under his captaincy that Bengal reached the final of the 1971-72 Ranji Trophy final before losing to Mumbai (then Bombay) at the Brabourne Stadium.
