Kerala football’s forgotten stars brought to the limelight

Many of the forgotten stars of Kerala football were honoured and presented mementoes in a function arranged by a few former Calicut University stars.

The Kerala footballers who had won the Junior National trophy and the Calicut University players who had won the National varsities title, both in 1973, at a function in Kochi on Saturday. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

The Kerala football team that won its maiden Santosh Trophy National Championship in 1973 has been feted many times in the last couple of years. But a few former Kerala stars realised that 1973 was not just a golden year for its men’s team, the State had also won the B.C. Roy Trophy Junior Nationals and Calicut University had lifted the Ashutosh Mukherjee Shield National varsities football title that same year.

Fifty years after their memorable performances, these players – many of them forgotten stars of Kerala football – were honoured and presented mementoes in a function arranged by a few former Calicut University stars at a city hotel here on Saturday.

Sharing the limelight with them were stars like Rufus D’souza, Blassey George and C.R. Balakrishnan who played the Santosh Trophy Nationals much before Kerala won its maiden title.

The occasion brought together around 70 former players and offered a wonderful chance for many of them to walk down memory lane.

“Young players faded away once they crossed 14 or 15 because there were very few matches for them to play,” former India goalkeeper Victor Manjila told Sportstar during the event.

“But the Kerala Football Association’s new initiative, which offers a lot of matches for children through its new leagues, will not just boost junior talent but will also ensure that a lot of quality players come up in future,” he added.