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Multi-sport athlete Chuni Goswami of Bengal dies at 82

Goswami
by Wisden Staff 1 minute read

Subimal Goswami, known to the world as “Chuni”, passed away on Thursday after suffering a cardiac arrest. Goswami was 82 and had been suffering from underlying conditions, including sugar, prostate and issues with the nervous system.

Goswami was among the legends of Indian football, captaining the national team at the 1962 Asian Games, where India won the gold medal. He also captained Bengal’s first-class cricket team, leading them to the final of the 1971-72 Ranji Trophy. Goswami is survived wife Basanti and son Sudipto.

In all, Goswami played 46 first-class matches for Bengal, in which he made 1592 runs, averaging 28.42. Included in that was a top score of 103, his only century, and seven half-centuries. He also picked up 47 wickets, including a five-for, at 24.08 apiece. He was also a member of the Bengal team in the drawn Ranji final of 1968/69 against Bombay. Goswami made 96 and 84, but Bengal couldn’t lift the title, owing to a first-innings deficit.

Goswami’s football career for India spanned 50 matches. Apart from the Asian Games glory, he was also a part of the Indian team that travelled to Rome for the Olympics in 1960 and the team that won the silver medal at the 1964 Asia Cup in Israel. He was also named Best Striker of Asia in 1962.

Goswami was conferred with the Padma Shri, India’s fourth-highest civilian award, in 1983, and before that, the Arjuna Award in 1963. A Mohun Bagan lifer, he earned the Mohun Bagan Ratna in 2005, in recognition of his outstanding achievements with the club, whom he represented until his retirement in 1968.

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