Kolkata: Renowned Indian football player and coach and a member of the national side that got the bronze at the 1970 Asian Games in Bangkok, Subhas Bhowmick, passed away at the age of 71 here on Saturday.
Bhowmick, lovingly called Bhombol Da on the maidan, made his international debut on July 30, 1970, against Farmosa in the Merdeka Cup. He turned out in India jerseys in 24 international outings and netted nine goals, including a hat-trick against the Philippines in the Merdeka Cup in 1971, a match that India won 5-1.
He has the distinction of not just playing for India in several top-notch competitions but also coaching the national side.
Bhowmick represented Bengal in the Santosh Trophy in 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973 (captain), and in 1975, and won it four times (in 1969,1971,1972,1975). He has 24 goals to his credit in Santosh Trophy.
He played for century-old East Bengal in 1969, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1979, and scored 82 goals. While for Mohun Bagan, he scored 84 goals spanning six seasons — 1970, 1971, 1972, 1976, 1977, 1978.
His biggest achievement in his coaching career came with East Bengal. In 2003, under his coaching, East Bengal won the LG Asean Club Cup in Jakarta.
