India's footballers and cricketers -- both current and former -- reacted with shock after Goswami's demise. The versatile veteran, a former India football captain as well as a first-class cricketer, was 82.
Chuni Goswami was also battling underlying ailments, including sugar, and prostrate and nerve problems. The versatile sports veteran was 82 and breathed his last at a hospital in Kolkata
Chuni Goswami was in a league of his own -- peerless -- and lived a life that will always be celebrated for being one of India's greatest.
In a heart-warming tribute to his former teammate, Franco Fortunato recalls that "The team that won the Gold Medal in the 1962 Asian Games was a fantastic bunch. But Chuni was above all. He was a treat to watch. He was pure entertainment, a complete package. He was our captain, our darling".
'At the same time, this may encourage some youngsters in some parts of the country to pursue football.'
Former hockey captain P R Sreejesh was chosen for the Padma Bhushan, while Ravichandran Ashwin was among the Padma Shri winners.
Sunil Chhetri's father-in-law and former coach, Subrata Bhattacharya, believes the Indian captain's retirement from international football is a 'perfect decision'.
Maidaan draws out more yawns than yays, observes Sukanya Verma.
Tulsidas Balaram, who passed into the ages last week, was a member of the Indian football team which reached the semis at the Olympics and won an Asian Games gold medal.
With the nationwide lockdown in place to fight the spread of COVID-19, the first condolence meeting held on virtual platform. Banerjee had died on March 20 after a prolonged illness while Goswami succumbed to cardiac arrest on April 30.
Playing against Mohun Bagan on a slushy and jam-packed Eden Gardens on September 24, 1977 in the twilight of his career, the three-time World Cup winner was overwhelmed by the depth of talent a "little known" Indian club possessed.
Former Indian international cricketer Dilip Doshi, who played Ranji Trophy for Bengal, hailed late former Indian football team captain Subimal (Chuni) Goswami as the man who brought a 'sense of fitness' over from football to cricket. Goswami had led the Indian football team to the gold medal in the 1962 Asian Games, while he also went on to captain Bengal in the Ranji Trophy including the final against Mumbai in 1971-72.
Chuni Goswami needs insulin daily and due to the 21-day nationwide lockdown his medical supervisor is not able to attend him but his wife Basanti is 'managing' it somehow. Former India hockey captain Gurbux Singh remembers the World War II and also the partition but said he never witnessed anything like the current crisis.
Asian Games gold medallist and Olympian Tulsidas Balaram, part of Indian football's 'holy trinity' in the 1950s and 60s, passed away in Kolkata on Thursday after a prolonged illness, sources close to his family said.
Mohun Bagan football club on Saturday accepted the resignation of coach Steve Darby and appointed former Nigerian footballer Bernard Operanazie in the Englishman's place.
Indian football legend Chuni Goswami slammed the AITA for not acting firm against Mahesh Bhupathi and Rohan Bopanna in the Olympics doubles team selection row and said some action should be taken against them.
Football legends, led by Chuni Goswami and P K Banerjee, paid rich tribute to just-retired former India captain Bhaichung Bhutia, hailing him as one of the best players the country produced.
The AIFF has honoured living members of the 1962 Asian Games gold medal winning squad during its Platinum Jubilee function in New Delhi, which also saw the unveiling of technical director Rob Baan's master plan.
India will need to travel back in time and seek inspiration from football greats Tulsidas Balaram and Chuni Goswami to deftly dribble around and sidestep the West-imposed price cap on exports of Russian seaborne crude oil. India depends on imported oil to meet 86 per cent of its needs, of which nearly a quarter now comes from Russia. The copious flows are roughly 10 per cent cheaper than competing suppliers helping India save billions of dollars in fuel costs.
FIFA president Joseph Sepp Blatter presented the honour of excellence to 40 former football greats of India at a banquet here tonight.
First came the CD hailing the Left Front's achievements in West Bengal and then came the sharp denial from the soccer trio, including Baichung Bhutia, about their awareness of it being used in the poll campaign for the Assembly elections in April.
The enormous structured global advertising machinery that surrounds every football game on the planet today? Pele was perhaps single-handedly responsible for all of it. By just being brilliant, captivating crowds, and behaving like a being from the future, doing things that STILL provoke oohs and aahs from watchers. Vaibhav Raghunandan salutes the Incomparable Pele.
Union sports minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore on Saturday said India must work hard towards bringing back the lost glory of football.
Bembem hoped the Padma Shri will act as recognition for women's football in India.
Indian football team captain Sunil Chhetri on Monday tied the knot with long-time girlfriend Sonam Bhattacharya, daughter of Mohun Bagan legend Subrata Bhattacharya, at a grand wedding ceremony in Kolkata on Monday.
He was a part of the 1960 Rome Olympics squad but didn't get a game but was an integral part of the 1962 Asiad gold winning team in Jakarta.
As in their last match against Kerala Blasters, ATKMB struggled to get going initially, while SCEB made some fine attacking moves but lacked the finishing touches.
Hakim won the Santosh Trophy for Services in 1960 and continued to be a part of the squad till 1966. At club level, he played for City College Old Boys (Hyderabad) and Indian Air Force.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday graced Indian football's historic moment when he greeted players of both the teams ahead of India's opening FIFA U-17 World Cup match against USA, in New Delhi.
A fearless competitor who used brain and brawn in equal measure, Subhas Bhowmick was one of the most fascinating characters in Indian football through the 1970s with his muscular built and equally expressive carefree opinions.
From cricket great Sachin Tendulkar to renowned actor Ajay Devgn, Twitter was flooded with messages that relived fond memories associated with PK Banerjee, whose name goes well beyond the sport he played.
Dilip Kumar 'got annoyed and was about to leave the stage before things were brought under control'.
PK Banerjee was captain of the Indian team that last played the Olympics in Rome 1960. He retired as a player in 1967 after being laid low by recurring injuries. But then went on accumulate a staggering 54 trophies as a coach.
A look at the few bright spots, the many worries, and moments that made for a distinctly indelible 2020.
India's biggest football draw -- clash between bitter foes Mohun Bagan and East Bengal -- was on Wednesday called off here after a no-show from the former team in the Calcutta Football League Premier Division. East Bengal had turned up for the match at the Kalyani Municipal Stadium but Mohun Bagan stood firm on their decision as match referee Pranjan Banerjee waited for 30 minutes before calling it off, and declaring the red-and-gold winners.
Frenzied scenes were witnessed at the airport this morning when Pele landed in the Kolkata after 38 years as the 74-year-old Brazilian turned emotional and stood on the floor of his SUV to wave at the crowd, who kept chanting his name.
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