Tulsidas Balaram

Tulsidas Balaram (30 November 1936 – 16 February 2023), also known as Tulsidas Balaraman, was an Indian footballer.

Balaram represented India in multiple international tournaments, including the Asian Games, the Mederka Cup and the Olympics.

Balaram was born on October 4, 1936, in Ammuguda, a village near Secunderabad in British-occupied Hyderabad.

Despite being born into poverty, Balaram showed interest in football from a young age.

He recalls getting his first pair of football boots by convincing a cobbler to repurpose an old pair of torn police shoes.

Along with P. K. Banerjee and Chuni Goswami, Balaram was part of an acclaimed trio of players that helped propel India into what is widely regarded as its golden age of football during the 1950s and 60s.

When he was 19, he was encouraged by Syed Abdul Rahim to try out for the Hyderabad team for the 1956 Santosh Trophy.

Rahim provided Balaram with a monthly allowance for a bicycle so that he could commute from his village to practice in Hyderabad.

After his parents migrated to Secundrabad, Balaram started playing football at the Lallaguda workshop ground, and practised Hyderabadi style of one-touch football.

He was scouted during a Secunderabad League match between Civilians and Army XI.

He then appeared with Ryders Club, and eventually impress chief guest, Indian manager Syed Abdul Rahim.

Balaram first played for the Hyderabad team in the 1956 Santosh Trophy.

He scored against Bombay in the final, contributing to Hyderabad's 4–1 championship win.

After the 1956 Melbourne Olympics, Balaram was signed by East Bengal Club in Kolkata by then secretary J. C. Guha.

He became the highest paid player in the club at that time with a salary amount of Rs.

3,500. He soon went on to serve as team captain.

Balaram was recruited to the India national team for the 1956 Melbourne Olympics and made his international debut against Yugoslavia.

Balaram and the Indian team finished in 4th place in 1956, marking India's best-ever finish in football at the Olympic games.

With the "red and gold brigade", Balaram won several titles including the 1958 IFA Sheild and the Santosh Trophy in 1959, 1960, and 1962.

During his days in East Bengal, Balaram played under coach Sushil Bhattacharya.

India almost upset 1958 World Cup semi-finalists France a few days later, with Balaram playing a pivotal role in the 1–0 lead deep into second half.

Balaram was the Indian team's only scorer in their final match of the tournament, a 3–1 loss to Peru.

During the 1958 Asian Games in Tokyo, India's match against Hong Kong went into extra time after the scoreline was 2–2 during normal time.

Despite an injury, Balaram assisted with two goals and scored one as India won 5–2.

In the 1959 CFL season, he finished as second highest goalscorer with 23 goals.

He also played for Bengal Nagpur Railway with Arun Ghosh.

Balaram played a total of 36 matches for India and scored 10 goals in international tournaments.

At the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome, Balaram was responsible for 2 out of 3 Indian goals throughout the tournament.

India were placed in the so-called "group of death", with Hungary, France, and Peru.

Balaram made his mark playing football for the East Bengal of Kolkata, and captained the team in 1961–62.

He predominantly played as a center or left-wing forward In 1962, he received Arjuna Award from the Government of India.

He retired after playing for eight years due to a tuberculosis diagnosis at the age of 27.

One of the more popular and widely recognized moments in his career came when India won the gold medal at the 1962 Asian Games in Jakarta.

Balaram played every game and scored two goals, one each against Thailand and Japan.

This marked the first and only time India has come in first place for football at the Asian games.

After retirement, Balaram went on to manage one of the prestigious multi-sports clubs in Kolkata, Bengal Nagpur Railway.

He was later appointed coach of Calcutta Mayor's XI, and guided the team in competitions like Gothia Cup in Sweden, and played a key role in bringing up players including Basudev Mandal, Mehtab Hossain, and Sangram Mukherjee.

When a youth team under his coaching got an invitation to play in Germany, his visa was denied by Indian Govt.

They started the competition against Hungary, losing the game 2–1, with Balaram scoring India's first goal in the tournament at the 79th minute.

Although they lost, the resulting score added to India's credibility within the group stage as the Hungarians beat Peru and France 6–2 and 7–0, respectively.