New Delhi: Sahu Mewalal, the 1951 Delhi Asian Games gold medalist, passed away at a state-run hospital in Kolkata early on Saturday. The 82-year-old former Olympian was suffering from old age complications.
The former Indian international is survived by his wife, a son and two daughters.
Born on July 1, 1926, Mewalal started his career as a right out but soon became a center forward. He came into the reckoning at the age of 18 when he scored the winning goal for the IFA (Indian Football Association) XI against India XI in 1944.
The following year he played for Aryan club before joining Mohun Bagan in 1946. He then joined Eastern Railway in 1947 and stayed there for eight years after which he joined BNR (Bengal Nagpur Railway) in 1958.
He was the top scorer of the Kolkata League on five occasions- 1949, 1951, 1953, 1954 & 1958.
Mewalal represented India at both the 1948 London Olympics and the 1952 Helsinki Olympics. He was also part of the Indian team that toured several European countries in the late 1940’s.
His finest moment in an Indian shirt came at the 1951 Asian Games in New Delhi where he scored four goals which includes the winner in India’s 1-0 win over Iran in the final.
He also played for India in their tours of Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Myanmar and Thailand in the 1950’s.
Mewalal is considered to be one of the greatest Indian footballers of all time. He was well known for his excellent fitness and bicycle kicks.
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