TK Chathunni, a former Kerala player and famous coach, died on Wednesday at the age of 75 in Kochi after a brief illness.
The All India Football Federation announced that former Kerala football player TK Chathunni, who became well-known as a coach, passed away on Wednesday at the age of 75 in Kochi after a short illness. His spouse and their two daughters have survived him. As a highly regarded defender in the 1960s and 1970s, he represented India in the 1973 Merdeka Tournament held in Kuala Lumpur. After playing in six India international matches, he also represented Services in the National Football Championship for the Santosh Trophy. He also played for teams like EME Centre (Secundrabad), Vasco Club (Goa), and Orkay Mills (Mumbai).
However, he gained notoriety as a coach, having been credited with discovering talents such as previous greats IM Vijayan, Bruno Coutinho, and Jo Paul Anchery, among others.
In his role as coach, he assisted Mohun Bagan in winning their first NFL championship and subsequently a National League title in the 1997–98 season.
Additionally, he has the distinction of being the coach of the greatest number of clubs in the nation, including Churchill Brothers, FC Kochin, Salgaocar FC, and Dempo Sports Club.
Among other teams, he coached the Kerala Police and the 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.”
