India’s Asian Games gold-medal successful footballer and Olympian Tulsidas Balaram died right here on Thursday after a chronic sickness, sources near his household stated.

Balaram was 87 and a widower dwelling in a flat on the banks of Hooghly river in Uttarpara.

The 1962 Asiad champion was hospitalised on December 26 final yr and was being handled for urinary an infection and stomach distension.

“His condition did not improve and he breathed his last around 2pm today,” a supply near the household instructed PTI.

“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.

Balaram belonged to the golden technology of Indian soccer within the Fifties and 60s the place he paired with legends similar to Chuni Goswami and PK Banerjee, and so they got here to be referred to as ‘holy trinity’.

An Arjuna awardee, Balaram’s exploits on the 1960 Rome Olympics are nicely documented.

Placed within the ‘group of dying’ with Hungary, France and Peru, India misplaced the opener to Hungary 1-2 however Balaram lined himself in glory by scoring a 79th-minute purpose.

India got here near upsetting France a number of days later with Balaram once more displaying his class.

Balaram, who principally performed as a centre-forward or as a left-winger, referred to as it a day in 1963 owing to poor well being.