The Former Legendary Indian football goalkeeper Kuppuswami Sampath Dies Aged 75
Kuppuswami Sampath, who played as a goalkeeper in the Indian football team in the 1970s, died aged 75 on Monday after a cardiac arrest in his native Bengaluru.
Kuppuswami Sampath helped India win a bronze medal at the 1970 Asian Games and also coached the Indian football team in the late 1990s.
Kuppuswami Sampath, who was India’s goalkeeping coach at the Bangkok Asian Games in 1998, was survived by his wife and daughter.
Iconic Impact With Team India
Born on September 15, 1947, Kuppuswami Sampath represented India in 18 international matches. The biggest moment in his career came at the 1970 Asian Games in Bangkok when he won the bronze medal with the Indian football team.
Sampath’s performance at the Asian Games helped India keep three clean sheets in six matches they played in Bangkok. Sampath, who was over six feet tall, protected India’s narrow 1-0 lead against the then Olympic bronze medalist Japan in the bronze medal match at the Asian Games. It was India’s last medal at the continental meet.
Kuppuswami Sampath also represented India at the Merdeka Cup in 1970 and 1972 and the 1971 Pesta Sukan Cup.
Some of His Domestic Achievements
At the domestic level, Sampath won the Santosh Trophy with Mysore (now Karnataka), in 1968-69. He also played for Services from 1970 to 1973 and Goa from 1974 to 1978.
Kuppuswami Sampath was the custodian for the Madras Engineering Club (Bangalore) from 1960 to 1972. He played for Dempo SC from 1973 to 1978 and helped the Goan club win the Rovers Cup in 1974 and 1978.
