On Thursday, many people were left saddened after football legend and cricketer Chuni Goswami passed away. According to a Sportstar report, the 82-year-old had been admitted to a Kolkata hospital earlier on Thursday and passed away at 5:00 pm after suffering a cardiac arrest.
Goswami has been credited by many for putting Indian football on the map. Over his long career he led the team to many a victory, including a gold medal at the 1962 Asian Games and a Silver medal in the 1964 Asia Cup.
But aside from these details, how well do you know the sports icon? Below, we've put together a list of 10 lesser known facts about Chuni Goswami.
1. Chuni was a nickname given to him. His real name is Subimal Goswami.
2. He won the Asia's Best Striker award in 1962. His contributions to Indian football also saw him be conferred with the Arjuna Award in 1963 and the Padma Shri in 1983.
3. Goswami had turned 82 in mid-January, and the Indian Postal Department commemorated the occasion with a commemorative stamp.
4. He had been invited for a trial by Tottenham Hotspur FC after captaining India to a gold in the 1962 Jakarta Asiad. He however turned them down.
Goswami had played for Mohun Bagan throughout his life -- beginning at the age of eight as a Junior Team member. He was conferred with the Mohun Bagan Ratna in 2005.
5. He had never taken money to play for Mohun Bagan. In an interview with The Telegraph Goswami said that he had "never" taken money to play for the club. "It was a matter of pride for us," he told the publication.
6. He had begun working for the State Bank of India in 1960. "My salary of Rs 450 in those days was more than what an IAS officer drew," he had told The Telegraph.
7. P.K. Banerjee and Tulsidas Balaram -- two other individuals credited with breathing new life into Indian football -- were his teammates.
8. In 2005 Goshwami became the Sheriff of Kolkata -- an apolitical position that is bestowed upon a prominent citizen of the city for one year.
9. Alongside football and cricket, Goswami had played hockey and lawn tennis. He had played hockey for his club team.
10. In 2015 Goswami met Pele when the latter came to Kolkata.
