Gostha Pal was born on August 20, 1896, in Faridpur (present-day Bangladesh). He began his football journey at the age of 11 with Kumartuli Club in 1907. His exceptional talent led him to join the iconic Green and Maroon side of Calcutta. In 1913, with support from Rajen Sengupta—one of the stewards of Mohun Bagan's 1911 IFA Shield victory—and Major Sailen Bose, a key club official, Pal signed with Mohun Bagan, two years after their historic triumph. As a right-back, he played alongside Shield-era legends like Bhuti Sukul, Habul Sarkar, and Nilmadhab Bhattacharya.
Gostha Pal was unmatched as a defender in his time — strong, fearless, and tactically astute. Despite playing barefoot, he was known for his hard tackles and booming long passes. His debut for Mohun Bagan in 1913 was far from ideal; he struggled against the booted players of Dalhousie FC on a rain-soaked pitch. The critical Calcutta crowd quickly turned on the 17-year-old, and Pal feared his big-club dream had ended before it began. But under the mentorship of Bhuti Sukul, he regained confidence and delivered a stellar performance in his very next match against Black Watch — a turning point in his career.
Facts:
Gostha Pal Was Born in Bhojeshwar, Faridpur, Bengal Presidency (now in Bangladesh) on August 20, 1896
He Was the First Captain of the Indian national football team
Gostha Pal played for Mohun Bagan and was named team captain in 1921
He played as a central defender and was nicknamed ‘Chiner Pracheer’ (The Wall of China)
Gostha Pal retired from football in 1936
He was the first Indian footballer to be honoured with the Padma Shri, on April 28, 1962
A statue was erected in his memory in 1983 on the Gostho Pal Sarani in Kolkata.
Mohun Bagan awarded him the 'Mohun Bagan Ratna' posthumously in 2004.
Records:
Mohun Bagan AC awarded him the Mohun Bagan Ratna posthumously, which is given to former greats of that club, in 2004. The family of Gostha Pal returned the Mohun Bagan Ratna to Mohun Bagan Club in 2019 in protest of the lackadaisical attitude of the club towards the legend's memorabilia.
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