Indian football legend Tulsidas Balaram passes away aged 87
Kolkata, Feb 16: Asian Games gold medallist and Olympian Tulsidas Balaram, a part of Indian football's 'holy trinity' in the prosperous 1950s and 60s, passed away here on Thursday after a prolonged illness, sources close to his family said.
Balaram was 87 and a widower living in a flat on the banks of Hooghly river in Uttarpara.
The 1962 Asian Games champion was hospitalised on December 26 last year and was being treated for urinary infection and abdominal distension.
"His condition did not improve and he breathed his last around 2pm today," a source close to his family told 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.
Born on October 4, 1936, to Tamil parents -- Muthamma and Tulsidas Kalidas -- in Ammuguda village in the garrison town of Secunderabad, Balaram scored 131 goals across seven seasons.
Balaram belonged to the golden generation of Indian football in the 1950s and 60s where he teamed up with legends such as Chuni Goswami and PK Banerjee, as they came to be known as 'holy trinity'.
An Arjuna awardee, Balaram's exploits at the 1960 Rome Olympics are well documented.
Placed in the 'group of death' with Hungary, France and Peru, India lost the opener to Hungary 1-2 but Balaram covered himself in glory by scoring a 79th-minute goal. He also scored against Peru in the Games.
India came close to upsetting France a few days later with Balaram again showing his class.
The Jakarta Asian Games gold, where India beat South Korea 2-1 in the final, was the country's second title triumph in football at the multi-discipline continental games, and the achievement hasn't been repeated since.
Besides his ability to score brilliant goals, Balaram was well-known for his amazing ball control, dribbling and passing abilities through a comparatively short but very successful career.
Balaram, who mostly played as a centre-forward or as a left-winger, called it a day in 1963 owing to poor health.
His career spanned eight years between 1955 and 1963, before being cut short by tuberculosis at the age of 27.
Having made his international debut against Yugoslavia at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics, where India finished fourth, he went on to play 36 matches for the country while finding the net 10 times, including four in the Asian Games.
He has represented Bengal and Hyderabad in the Santosh Trophy and tasted success with both states.
After his retirement as an active footballer, Balaram coached the Calcutta Mayor's team in the Gothia Cup in Sweden. He had also served as a talent spotter of the All India Football Federation.
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Minister Patil chairs industry meetings to chart growth for key sectors in Karnataka
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Minister M B Patil on Tuesday chaired meetings with industry representatives from the aerospace and defence, machine tools, auto/EV, and green energy sectors to discuss sector growth and government support measures.
The meetings were attended by leading industrialists and their representatives, with some participating virtually.
Speaking on the occasion, the minister for Large and Medium Industries said Karnataka is at the forefront of the country’s aerospace and defence sectors.
He noted that Suzuki and Toyota plan to launch aerial taxi services in Japan by 2028, with Bengaluru-based Sasmos supplying electrical equipment for the project.
Industrialists suggested introducing similar “fly-taxi” services in Karnataka through an appropriate policy, which Patil said would be examined seriously.
The minister highlighted the need to establish testing centres and Common Facility Centres for the aerospace and defence industries and assured that these facilities would be provided.
Suggestions were also made to prepare a comprehensive roadmap for sector growth.
Karnataka has urged the Central Government to approve Defence Corridor projects in the Bengaluru North–Kolar–Chikkaballapur and Dharawada–Vijayapura–Belagavi regions.
Industrialists also suggested a corridor between Bengaluru and Mysuru, Patil said.
He said Karnataka aims to become a hub for defence electronics manufacturing, with plans to establish a 200-acre Defence Electronics Park and a 100-acre Avionics and Sensor Park.
These projects will be implemented once the Special Investment Region is operational, and land availability will not be an issue.
On the machine tools sector, Patil said the industry has recorded an annual turnover of Rs 36,500 crore and is witnessing steady growth.
Large-scale exhibitions have increased demand, and the state must strengthen its capabilities to develop control systems for heavy machinery. One testing unit is already operational in Bengaluru, with another planned for Tumakuru. Expansion of vocational training institutes in industrial areas is also underway.
In the Auto and EV sector, Vision Group members highlighted the need for a network of dry ports and more EV charging stations across the state.
Patil noted that the Tata Group is manufacturing EV buses in Dharawada for nationwide supply. Plans for mini excavator production and export facilitation were also discussed, along with the establishment of a testing facility for two-wheeler EVs.
For the Green Energy sector, the group emphasised the need for a suitable policy on battery-based energy storage and the establishment of data centres.
Patil assured that the government will seriously consider all suggestions and respond positively.
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