Chuni Goswami

Legendary former India footballer Chuni Goswami, who captained the 1962 Asian Games gold-winning team, died on Thursday after suffering a cardiac arrest. The iconic sportsperson, who also played first-class cricket for Bengal, was 82 and breathed his last at a hospital. He is survived by his wife Basanti and son Sudipto.

Ajay Devgn has taken to Twitter to mourn the demise of legendary former Indian football captain Chuni Goswami, and express condolences to his family.

Sports fraternity and fans came out in numbers to mourn the death of legendary Indian footballer Chuni Goswami, who died at a private city hospital in Kolkata on Thursday after suffering from a prolonged illness.

After Irrfan Khan and Rishi Kapoor’s sad demise, nation lost another gem yesterday (April 30). Former India football captain Chuni Goswami, who led India to the 1962 Asian Games gold, passed away in Kolkata after a prolonged illness.

Mohammedan Sporting Club (MSC) mourned the death of Indian football legend Chuni Goswami, who passed away here on Thursday at the age of 82 following a cardiac arrest.

One of India’s sporting giants, Chuni Goswami, who captained the 1962 Asian Games gold-winning football team, passed away on Thursday at the age of 82 following a cardiac arrest.

Chuni Goswami was a legend among the legends of Indian football and also one of the finest sportspersons of this country. A pall of gloom descended as the news of his passing away trickled in.

"Tuumi sab goal korechu. Ami goal kore ne. Tumi pass do, Ami goal korbo," these were the captain's words that rang in the ears of former India player Arumainayagam when he heard about the demise of his skipper Chuni Goswami.

Subimal 'Chuni' Goswami, the legendary forward, who at 82 breathed his last in Kolkata on Thursday, was the poster boy of Indian football, a cricketer par excellence who once took Bengal to the Ranji Trophy final (1971-72) and helped India demolish the West Indies in a tour match. In short, he was an 'expert' at everything, be it a tennis racket or a hockey stick.

His greatest moment came when he led the Indian football team to the 1962 Asian Games gold, but legendary Indian footballer Chuni Goswami will be remembered for his deft skills as a striker and at the same time his all-round cricketing abilities at the first-class level.

Former India international Arumainayagam, also a member of the 1962 Asian Games gold medal winning football squad with PK Banerjee, mourned the death of the legendary Kolkatan and said that 'PK was one of the greatest players' India had produced.

In a letter to Praful Patel, president of All India Football Federation (AIFF), the AFC president wrote: "I am deeply saddened to learn of the passing of the legendary former Indian captain Chuni Goswami, who passed away at the age of 82."

The late Chuni Goswami straddled two sporting worlds, football and cricket. It's as a footballer, however, that Chuni-da is fondly remembered, but that doesn't dim the fact that he was quite a competitive cricketer too.

Those who saw him in pomp insist he is the finest footballer India has produced since the 1960s. But Chuni Goswami, who led India to gold in the 1962 Jakarta Asian Games and who turns 80 on Monday, was also a cricketer of considerable merit who famously demolished the West Indies in the winter of 1966.

To mark the occasion of its 75th anniversary, All India Football Federation launched Platinum Jubilee Celebrations on Saturday.