Shanmugam passes away

Bangalore: Olympian T Shanmugam, one of India`s most illustrious footballers, passed away late yesterday night due to respiratory problem.

The 93-year-old Shamugam had represented India in 1952 Olympics at Helsinki and was also a part of the team that won the Asian gold medal at New Delhi 1951. Legandary midfielder represented Maharaja Socials and Bangalore Student Football Club in the Bangalore Senior Division League but his big jump came when he joined the Sullivan Police Sports Club of the Bangalore Police Force in 1941. Shanmugam not only was a great footballer, but also a great student of the game, which flowered when he took over the mantle of a coach. He was quite an extraordinary coach and was instrumental in Karnataka lifting Santosh trophy in 1983-84 season. He also coached the state team to success when it lifted the Santosh Trophy in 1968-69 along with Basheer as chief coach at Cuttack Nationals. Shanmugam was much in demand as a coach not only in Karnataka, but also in other states. He dutifully associated himself for 14-long years with Goa`s leading Salgoacar club and enabled it to win myriad tournaments, including Rovers Cup in 1988, Chakola Cup in Kerala, Maharajah Cup in Sikkim. He played for Karnataka in Santosh Trophy between 1944 and 1954. During 1968 National Institute of Sports, he was deputed to Japan for coaching under FIFA along with legends including P K Banerjee, Jarnail Singh and Chunni Goswamy. Karnataka State Football Association President, A R Khaleel and other office bearers, besides state sports minitser Appachu Ranjan mourned the demise of the legend and paid their last respects to him at his residence. PTI