Former Olympian football player of India, Sahu Mewalal passed away at a Kolkata-based hospital early on Saturday (December 27). The agile footballer of yesteryears was suffering from old age complications. The 82-year-old champion is survived by his wife, a son and two daughters. Sahu Mewalal represented India in London Olympics, 1948, and Helsinki Olympics, 1952.

 

A lethal centre forward player, Mewalal played a very important part in helping India to claim the gold medal at the 1951 Delhi Asiad. He became a national hero after scoring the solitary winning goal in the Asian Games final against Iran. He scored a total of four goals in that tournament. After being inducted in the national football team, Mewalal toured several European countries in the late 1940s. During India's Europe tour, the ace footballer scored six goals in four matches.

 

Mewalal also toured Afghanistan, Myanmar and Thailand with the national team. He became the top goal scorer in the Kolkata football league on five occasions - 1949, 1951, 1953, 1954 and 1958. The goal scoring machine was popular for his acrobatic fitness and spectacular back volleys. He was born in July 1, 1926 at Kolkata.

 

Sahu Mewalal began his football career in the right out slot, but shifted to centre forward within a short time.  He came to lime light when he scored the winning goal for the Indian Football Association-XI against India-XI in 1944. He was only eighteen years old during that time. He also played for Mohun Bagan, Eastern Railway and Bengal Nagpur Railway.