Chuni Goswami

Subimal Goswami (15 January 1938 – 30 April 2020) was an Indian professional footballer who played as a striker or winger, captained both the Mohun Bagan club and the Indian national team. He is a former Sheriff of Kolkata. Popularly known as Chuni Goswami, he scored nine goals in 30 international appearances. He was an Olympian, represented India national team at the 1960 Summer Olympics. He also led the team to achieve the gold medal at the 1962 Asian Games and earn the runners-up position at the 1964 AFC Asian Cup.

Chuni Goswami

Chuni Goswami in 1959
Personal information
Birth name	Subimal Goswami
Date of birth	(1938-01-15)15 January 1938
Place of birth	Kishoreganj, Bengal Presidency, British India
Date of death	30 April 2020(2020-04-30) (aged 82)
Place of death	Kolkata, West Bengal, India
Playing position(s)	Striker
Youth career
1946–1954	Mohun Bagan
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1954–1968	Mohun Bagan
National team^‡
1956–1964	India	30	(9)
Teams managed
1986–1989	Director, Tata Football Academy
1991–1992	India
Cricket information Batting Right-handed Bowling Right arm fast medium Role All-rounder Domestic team information Years Team 1962–1973 Bengal Career statistics Competition FC Matches 46 Runs scored 1592 Batting average 28.42 100s/50s 1/7 Top score 103 Balls bowled 2917 Wickets 47 Bowling average 24.08 5 wickets in innings 1 10 wickets in match 0 Best bowling 5/47 Catches/stumpings 40/– Source: Cricinfo, 7 March 2014
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 27 May 2008 ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 27 May 2008

He was also a first class cricketer, playing Ranji Trophy for Bengal. He captained his team to the final of the tournament in 1971–72.[1]

Football career

Chuni Goswami holds the distinction of playing for a single club, Mohun Bagan, throughout his club career despite numerous offers from other clubs including one reported offer from Tottenham Hotspur.[2]

Club career

Goswami joined the Mohun Bagan Junior Team in 1946 at the age of 8 years. He was a part of the Junior squad up to 1954 and then graduated to the Mohun Bagan senior team. He continued playing for Mohun Bagan till his retirement in 1968. During his stay with the club, he captained the club in 5 seasons from 1960 to 1964.[3][4]

International career

Chuni Goswami made his international debut for India in 1956 during the team's 1–0 victory over the Chinese Olympic team.[4] He went on to play for India in 50 international matches including in Olympics, Asian Games, Asia Cup and Merdeka Cup. He captained India to the Asian Games Gold Medal in 1962 and a Silver in the 1964 Asia Cup in Tel Aviv and in the Merdeka Cup.[5]

International statistics

Further information: India national football team results

Chuni Goswami played in 30 FIFA "A" international matches having scored 9 times for the National team.[6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16]

India national team
Year	Apps	Goals
1958	5	2
1959	6	1
1960	3	0
1961	3	0
1962	5	3
1964	8	3
Total	30	9[17]

International goals

Date	Venue	Opponent	Result	Competition	Goals
26 May 1958	Korakuen Velodrome, Tokyo	Burma	3–2	1958 Asian Games	1[18]
30 May 1958	Tokyo Football Stadium, Tokyo	Hong Kong	5–2	1958 Asian Games	1[18]
11 December 1959	Maharaja's College Stadium, Kochi	Iran	3−1	1960 AFC Asian Cup qualification	1[19]
28 August 1962	Senayan Stadium, Jakarta	Thailand	4–1	1962 Asian Games	1[20]
1 September 1962	Senayan Stadium, Jakarta	South Vietnam	3–2	1962 Asian Games	2[21]
2 June 1964	Bloomfield Stadium, Jaffa	Hong Kong	3–1	1964 AFC Asian Cup	1[22]
27 August 1964	Kuala Lumpur, Malaya	Cambodia	4–0	1964 Merdeka Tournament	1[23]
29 August 1964	Kuala Lumpur, Malaya	Thailand	2–1	1964 Merdeka Tournament	1[24]

Cricket career

Chuni Goswami made his first class debut for Bengal in the Ranji Trophy during the 1962–63 season.[25] He was a Right Handed Batsman and a Right Arm Medium Pacer. After retiring from football, Goswami fully focussed on playing cricket for West Bengal. He appeared in two Ranji Trophy finals, losing to Mumbai each time. In the 1968–69 final, he scored 96 and 84; but Ajit Wadekar's century helped Mumbai win on first innings lead. Later, he led the Bengal cricket team to a 1972 Ranji Trophy final which they lost to Mumbai for whom Gavaskar and Shivalkar starred. Playing for Combined East and Central Zone team against the touring West Indies side in December 1966, Chuni Goswami took 8 wickets in the match as his team surprisingly beat the tourists by an innings.[26] In his cricket career, which spanned up to the 1972–73 season, he played 46 first class matches, scoring 1,592 runs with one century and seven fifties, and took 47 wickets.[27]

Death

Goswami died on 30 April 2020 at the age of 82 in Kolkata after a prolonged illness.[28] For the last few months, Goswami was suffering from underlying ailments with diabetes, prostate infection and neurological problems. His family confirmed that Goswami was admitted to a city hospital earlier in the day and died at 5 pm after a cardiac arrest.[29][30]

Awards

Goswami won numerous awards during his playing career as well as after retirement for his contribution towards Indian football. The major awards won by him are:[4]

• 1962 Best Striker of Asia Award
• 1963 Arjuna award
• 1983 Padma Shri award
• 2005 Mohun Bagan Ratna

See also

• Football at the Asian Games
• India national football team at the Olympics

References

1. "Olympians Who Played First-Class Cricket". Olympedia. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
2. "Latest Volume19-Issue14 News, Photos, Latest News Headlines about Volume19-Issue14". Frontline. Archived from the original on 7 September 2008.
3. "Chuni Goswami Profile". IloveIndia.com. Retrieved 1 May 2020.
4. "Indian Football Capital's News : EAST BENGAL VS MOHUNBAGAN IN CFL - 2007". www.kolkatafootball.com. Archived from the original on 14 September 2008.
5. "Calcuttaweb - Sports Personality : Chuni Goswami". Archived from the original on 22 June 2008.
6. "World Football Elo Ratings". www.eloratings.net.
7. "The Indian Senior Team at the 1958 Tokyo Asian Games". www.indianfootball.de.
8. "The Indian Senior Team at the 1959 Merdeka Cup".
9. "The Indian Senior Team at the 1960 Seoul Asia Cup Qualifiers". www.indianfootball.de.
10. "The Indian Senior Team at the 1960 Rome Olympic Qualifiers".
11. "The Indian Senior Team at the 1960 Rome Olympics". www.indianfootball.de.
12. "The Indian Senior Team at the 1961 Merdeka Cup". www.indianfootball.de.
13. "The Indian Senior Team at the 1962 D'Jakarta Asian Games". www.indianfootball.de.
14. "The Indian Senior Team at the 1964 Tokyo Olympic Qualifiers". www.indianfootball.de.
15. "The Indian Senior Team at the 1964 Tel Aviv Asia Cup". www.indianfootball.de.
16. "The Indian Senior Team at the 1964 Merdeka Cup". www.indianfootball.de.
17. India - Record International Players RSSSF
18. Ghoshal, Amoy (17 August 2014). "Indian football team at the Asian Games: 1958 Tokyo". Sportskeeda.com. Archived from the original on 5 September 2018. Retrieved 19 June 2016.
19. "India National Senior team 1960 AFC qualification". indianfootball.de. Indian Football. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
20. Ghoshal, Amoy (18 August 2014). "Indian football team at the Asian Games: 1962 Jakarta". Sportskeeda.com. Retrieved 5 July 2018.
21. "INDIA AND KOREA TO CONTEST SOCCER FINAL". The Sunday Standard. 2 September 1962. Retrieved 5 July 2018.
22. "Asian Nations Cup 1964". RSSSF. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
23. "India Rout Cambodia in Merdeka Soccer". The Indian Express. 28 August 1964. Retrieved 5 July 2018.
24. "India score second successive victory". The Sunday Standard. 30 August 1964. Retrieved 5 July 2018.
25. "Chuni Goswami". Cricinfo.
26. "Tour Match: Combined East & Central v West Indies at Indore, 26-28 Dec 1966". static.espncricinfo.com.
27. Players and Officials - Chuni Goswami, from Cricinfo.
28. "Chuni Goswami, Star Indian Footballer, Bengal Ranji Captain, Dead". Outlook. 30 April 2020. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
29. Sportstar, Team. "India's football legend Chuni Goswami passes away". Sportstar. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
30. সংবাদদাতা, নিজস্ব. "হৃদরোগে আক্রান্ত হয়ে প্রয়াত চুনী গোস্বামী". Anandabazar Patrika (in Bengali). Retrieved 30 April 2020.

External links

• Chuni Goswami – FIFA competition record
• Details at RSSSF