Former India international T.K. Chathunni, the man who moulded I.M. Vijayan into a fine football gem and changed the lives of many others, passed away in a private hospital near here on Wednesday. He was 79.
A strong defender, Chathunni played for India in the 1973 Merdeka Cup in Kuala Lumpur and a few other tournaments. He also played Santosh Trophy for Services and Goa and later rose to prominence as one of India’s top coaches.
During his peak, many felt Chathunni was a coach with the Midas touch and he was sought after by some of the country’s biggest clubs in Goa, Kerala and Bengal where he guided Mohun Bagan to its first National League title in 1997-98. He was also Kerala’s Santosh Trophy coach in 1979.
“I was 10 or 12 when I first met him at a three-year camp in Thrissur. He taught me all about football,” Vijayan told Sportstar on Wednesday evening.
A few years later Chathunni, who hailed from Chalakudy in Thrissur District, coached Kerala Police to the Federation Cup title in 1990, it was the first time a team from the State was winning the event.
He shaped players like U. Sharafali, V.P. Sathyan, C.V. Pappachan and P.P. Thobias into fine stars in the Police team. He also coached teams like Goa’s Salgaocar, Dempo, Churchill Brothers and Kerala’s FC Kochin, Viva Kerala and Josco FC.
“He was among the first batch of players who were recruited when the Premier Tyres team (which reached great heights later) was formed in Kochi in 1972. That was the first time I saw him in action, but after about three months, he got a better offer from Vasco SC and left for Goa,” said former Indian goalkeeper Victor Manjila.
Chathunni later played for EME (Secunderabad) and Orkay Mills (then Bombay).
Former Indian goalkeeper S. Brahmanand, who played against him in Goa, remembers Chathunni as a strong defender.
“He was a towering figure in defence for Vasco...I played against him during my Panvel SC tenure and played under him when he coached Churchill Brothers. He was a coach with strong motivational power and a jovial person off the field,” said Brahmanand.
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