The All India Football Federation (AIFF) expressed its condolences on the passing of former India defender and respected coach TK Chathunni, who died in Kochi, Kerala, on Wednesday after a short illness. He was 75 years old and is survived by his wife and two daughters.
A well-known defender of the 1960s and 1970s, Chathunni was a member of the Indian team in the 1973 Merdeka tournament in Kuala Lumpur. He played six matches for the national team. In domestic football, he played for EME Centre, Secunderabad, Vasco Club, Goa, and Orkay Mills, Mumbai. In the National Football Championship for the Santosh Trophy, he played for Services.
In later years, Chathunni turned to coaching and had stints with several teams, including the Kerala Santosh Trophy side, Kerala Police, FC Kochin, Mohun Bagan, Salgaocar FC, Dempo Sports Club, and Churchill Brothers.
Condoling Chathunni’s death, the AIFF President, Kalyan Chaubey, said: “Chathunni was a dependable defender and later a top-class coach. I extend my sincerest condolences to his family at this time of sorrow.”
The AIFF Acting Secretary General, M. Satyanarayan, said: “TK Chathunni was a reputed footballer of his time and continued to inspire footballers of later generations with his coaching. His death has created a void in Indian football.”
