Football News : Indian football legend Tulsidas Balaram passes away at the age of 87!

One of the best footballers in India and a veteran of the golden period of Indian football from 1951 to 1962, Tulsidas Balaram, passed away suddenly on Thursday in Kolkata due to multiple organ failure. He was 87. Due to poor nutritional intake and abdominal distention, he was hospitalized to Kolkata’s Apollo Hospital last month.

Kolkata has been his adoptive home since 1957. He was in ICU because his condition had gotten worse. He underwent brain surgery to remove a blood clot in 2021.

AIFF condoles the demise of Tulsidas Balaram 🇮🇳

Read 👉 https://t.co/peD6zOFzmO#IndianFootball ⚽ pic.twitter.com/qu2V3L2Wn5

— Indian Football Team (@IndianFootball) February 16, 2023

Balaram, whose real name is Balaraman, competed in two Olympic games in 1956 and 1960. He reached the peak of Asian football in 1962, when India, coached by the famous Syed Abdul Rahim, won the Asian Games gold in Jakarta by defeating South Korea 2-1.

Deeply saddened to hear about the demise of Shri Tulsidas Balaram ji, the Asian Games gold medalist footballer & Olympian. He represented India in the 1956 & 1960 Olympics, leaving a lasting legacy in the world of football. My condolences to his family. pic.twitter.com/BrrGnC3dhN

— Anurag Thakur (@ianuragthakur) February 16, 2023

The 87-year-old before his death was a key member for the Indian national team and he was 1 half of the famous trio formed by PK Banerjee, Chuni Goswami and Tulsidas Balaram. The trio were came to be known as the “Holy trinity” during their playing days.

Reports have suggested that Tulsidas was admitted to the hospital in December 26 but his health kept on worsening day by day. “His condition did not improve and he breathed his last around 2pm today. We are grateful to the state government and the sports minister Aroop Biswas for taking good care of him during his last days.” 

Balaram mostly played up front and was versatile player. He frequently switched from a Center-forward to a left-winger but he hung his boots way back in 1963 due to his malnutrition-ed health. The entire footballing community in India mourns the death of Tulsidas Balaram and hopefully, Indian football can reach to newer heights to tribute the ones we have lost.