Chuni Goswami
Encyclopedia
Subimal Goswami commonly known by his nickname Chuni Goswami is an Indian international footballer and first class cricketer. He was born in Kishoreganj District
of undivided Bengal
(now in Bangladesh
). As a striker, he played 50 international matches representing India
. As a first class cricketer, he played Ranji Trophy
for Bengal.
. He led Bengal cricket team
to the Ranji Trophy
final twice. In his cricket career, which spanned up to 1972/73 season, he played 46 first class matches, scoring 1592 runs and took 47 wickets.
of Kolkata
in 2005.
Kishoreganj District
-Place of Interest:Kishorganj is a place of the creed of respectively Sanatana and Loukik Islam. Both Meghna and Brahmaputra river have contributed to its existence. Many traditional rituals are observed every year in Kishoreganj. Among them Kurikhai Mela is one of the most celebrated fair. It is a...
of undivided Bengal
Bengal
Bengal is a historical and geographical region in the northeast region of the Indian Subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. Today, it is mainly divided between the sovereign land of People's Republic of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, although some regions of the previous...
(now in Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
). As a striker, he played 50 international matches representing India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. As a first class cricketer, he played Ranji Trophy
Ranji Trophy
The Ranji Trophy is a domestic first-class cricket championship played in India between different city and state sides, equivalent to the County Championship in England and the Sheffield Shield in Australia...
for Bengal.
Football career
Chuni Goswami holds the distinction of playing for a single club, Mohun Bagan, throughout his club career despite numerous offers from other clubs including one reported offer from Tottenham Hotspur.Club career
Goswami joined the Mohun Bagan Junior Team in 1946 at the age of 8 years. He was a part of the Junior squad up to 1954 and then graduated to the Mohun Bagan senior team. He continued playing for Mohun Bagan till his retirement in 1968. During his stay with the club, he captained the club in 5 seasons from 1960 to 1964.International career
Chuni Goswami made his international debut for India in 1956 during the team's 1-0 victory over the Chinese Olympic team. He went on to play for India in 50 international matches including in Olympics, Asian Games, Asia Cup and Merdeka Cup. He captained India to the Asian Games Gold Medal in 1962 and a Silver in the 1964 Asia Cup in Tel Aviv and in the Merdeka Cup.Cricket career
Chuni Goswami made his first class debut for Bengal in the Ranji Trophy during the 1962/63 season. He was a Right Handed Batsman and a Right Arm Medium Pacer. After retiring from football, Goswami fully focussed on playing CricketCricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
. He led Bengal cricket team
Bengal cricket team
Bengal cricket team is considered Eastern India's strongest cricket team, it is the Elite Group of the Ranji Trophy and were runners-up twice consecutively in the 2005-06 and the 2006-07 season. Their ranks are occasionally bolstered by the return of Sourav Ganguly to the domestic competition...
to the Ranji Trophy
Ranji Trophy
The Ranji Trophy is a domestic first-class cricket championship played in India between different city and state sides, equivalent to the County Championship in England and the Sheffield Shield in Australia...
final twice. In his cricket career, which spanned up to 1972/73 season, he played 46 first class matches, scoring 1592 runs and took 47 wickets.
Other activities
Chuni Goswami is a very versatile personality. He turned out on occasion for his club hockey team. He also enacted a featured part in a Bengali movie Prothom Prem. He was also the SheriffSheriff
A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
of Kolkata
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
in 2005.
Awards
Chuni Goswami won numerous awards during his playing career as well as after retirement for his contribution towards Indian football. The major awards won by him are:- 1962 Best Striker of Asia Award
- 1963 Arjuna awardArjuna awardThe Arjuna Awards were instituted in 1961 by the government of India to recognize outstanding achievement in National sports. The award carries a cash prize of 500,000, a bronze statuette of Arjuna and a scroll....
- 1983 Padma ShriPadma ShriPadma Shri is the fourth highest civilian award in the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan...
award - 2005 Mohun Bagan Ratna