Honour for legendary Chuni Goswami, PK Banerjee

Bengaluru, October 28: When Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore handed over a cheque worth Rs 5 lakh to Chuni Goswami, it was no more than a token appreciation of one of India's sporting colossus. Perhaps, one of the most versatile too!

The generation that thrives of foreign football leagues and wonders about the volatile transfer market might not know Goswami, who retired long before ad gurus entered the market.

For the record, he has played 50 matches for India in the 50s and 60s scoring 32 goals. He was one of those rare breed of footballers who dedicated their playing career to a single club.

In Goswami's case it was Mohun Bagan all the way for him. In fact, nothing else, no other club mattered for him.

In his prime, Goswami got an offer to train with Tottenham Hotspur, then managed by the legendary Bill Nicholson. Spurs were on a roll then winning the league title and FA Cup besides the European Cup Winners Cup.

But Goswami had little knowledge about Spurs and turned down the offer and instead focused playing for Bagan.

Under his stewardship, India had won the Asia Games gold in 1962 beating South Korea thanks to goals from Jarnail Singh and PK Banerji. Rathore on Saturday (October 28) dropped in to visit Banerji on a courtesy call.

Banerji was honoured with FIFA Centennial Order of Merit in 2004.

Versatile as he was, Goswami went on to play first-class cricket for Bengal after his footballing career. In fact, he captained his state to the Ranji Trophy final and in all he played 46 matches.

He scored 1,592 runs at a shade over 28 with a hundred and seven fifties.

Apart from all these, he has been good at hockey, tennis and has acted in a Bengali film Prothom Prem.

A small town boy from Kishoreganj (now in Bangladesh), has become a true legend of Indian sports and Rathore's measure was a just appreciation.