Asian Games gold medallist and Olympian Tulsidas Balaram, part of Indian football's 'holy trinity' in the 1950s and 60s, passed away in Kolkata on Thursday after a prolonged illness, sources close to his family said.
Balaram belonged to the golden generation of Indian football and teamed up with legends like Chuni Goswami and PK Banerjee to forge a formidable partnership upfront.
He was 85 and remained a bachelor, living in a flat on the banks of the Hooghly river in Uttarpara, West Bengal.
The 1962 Asian Games champion was hospitalised on December 26 last year and was being treated for urinary infection and abdominal distension.
"His condition did not improve and he breathed his last around 2 pm today," a source close to his family said.
"We are grateful to the state government and the sports minister, Aroop Biswas, for taking good care of him during his last days," he added.
Born on October 4, 1937, to Tamil parents -- Muthamma and Tulsidas Kalidas -- in Ammuguda village in the garrison town of Secunderabad, Balaram scored 131 goals across seven seasons.
The All India Football Federation announced a three-day mourning as a mark of respect to the football legend.
"While the federation will fly its flag at half-mast during this period, a one-minute silence will be observed before the start of all competitive matches in India," the AIFF said.
An Arjuna awardee, Balaram's exploits at the 1960 Rome Olympics are well-documented.
Placed in the 'group of death' with Hungary, France and Peru, India lost the opener to Hungary 1-2 but Balaram covered himself in glory by scoring a 79th-minute goal. He also scored against Peru at the Games.
India came close to upsetting France a few days later with Balaram again showing his class.
The Jakarta Asian Games gold, which saw India beat South Korea 2-1 in the final, was the country's second title triumph in football at the multi-discipline continental games, and the achievement hasn't been repeated since.
Besides his ability to score brilliant goals, Balaram was well-known for his amazing ball control, dribbling and passing abilities through a comparatively short but very successful career.
Balaram, who mostly played as a centre-forward or as a left-winger, called it a day in 1963 owing to poor health.
His career spanned eight years between 1955 and 1963, before being cut short by tuberculosis at the age of 27.
Having made his international debut against Yugoslavia at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics, where India finished fourth, he went on to play 36 matches for the country while finding the net 10 times, including four in the Asian Games.
He was also part of the Indian team in the 1958 Asian Games and 1959 Merdeka Cup, where the country finished runner-up.
At the domestic level, Balaram won the Santosh Trophy title four times with Hyderabad (1956), and thrice with Bengal (1958, 1959, 1962). He was captain of the triumphant Bengal team of 1962.
He also made his name for East Bengal, where he won a plethora of trophies, including the Calcutta Football League (1961), IFA Shield (1958, 1961), Durand Cup (1960) and Rovers Cup (1962).
After his retirement as an active footballer, Balaram coached the Calcutta Mayor's team in the Gothia Cup in Sweden. He had also served as a talent spotter for the All India Football Federation.
In 1963, he joined Bengal Nagpur Railway (now known as South Eastern Railways) but midway through the season, he found he was getting unusually tired.
"A few tests at the Railways hospital confirmed my lungs were heavily infected," Balaram revealed many years later in an interview, according to the AIFF.
"The doctor, who was a huge fan of my game, said playing football could cost my life. That was the end of my career. I was 27 then," he had said.
Balaram nearly got married after his illness was diagnosed but he was able to persuade his mother against going ahead with it.
"I asked my mother to call it off. I felt that given my health condition, it was not right to put a young girl's future in danger. My mother cried but agreed with my suggestion. I never got married. I still have no regrets," Balaram had said, according to an AIFF press release.
In his condolence message, AIFF President Kalyan Chaubey said, "He (Balaram) was a blessed child of the football god. I am sure Balaram-da has returned to Him, leaving us mourning for one of the most gifted players in Indian football history.
"He truly was from a golden generation of Indian football. He was one of the best we had ever seen. My thoughts go out to his family."
AIFF Secretary General Shaji Prabhakaran said, "The entire Indian football fraternity is shattered and heart broken by the passing away of Tulsidas Balaram. My condolences go to his family. May his soul rest in peace."
