TK Chathunni, a renowned football coach, passes away at 75

After a brief illness, TK Chathunni, a former football player from Kerala who gained notoriety as a coach, passed away in Kochi on Wednesday at the age of 75, according to the All India Football Federation. His wife and two daughters survive him. In addition to being a standout defender in the 1960s and 1970s, he represented India in the 1973 Merdeka Tournament in Kuala Lumpur. In addition to playing for teams like EME Centre (Secundrabad), Vasco Club (Goa), and Orkay Mills (Mumbai), he has represented India in six international matches. He has also represented Services in the National Football Championship for the Santosh Trophy.

But he really rose to prominence as a coach, having been credited with discovering players like previous greats IM Vijayan, Bruno Coutinho, and Jo Paul Anchery, among others.

During the 1997–98 season, he assisted Mohun Bagan in winning their first national league title and subsequently the NFL as a coach.

In addition, he has the distinction of having coached the most teams in the nation, including Churchill Brothers, FC Kochin, Salgaocar FC, and Dempo Sports Club.

Among other teams, he coached Kerala Police and the Kerala Santosh Trophy team.

"Chathunni was a dependable defender and later a top-class coach," AIFF president Kalyan Chaubey remarked of the dependable defender. I send his family my deepest sympathies during this difficult time." "TK Chathunni was a renowned football player of his time and continued to inspire footballers of later generations with his coaching," said AIFF acting secretary general M Satyanarayan. Indian football now has a void following his passing."