imported>JJMC89 bot III at 20:52, 27 August 2021

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{{short description|Indian footballer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2021}}
{{Use Indian English|date=September 2016}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Gostha Pal
| image =Gostha Pal 1998 stamp of India.jpg
| fullname = Gostha Behari Pal
| birth_date = {{birth date|1896|08|20|df=yes}}
| birth_place = [[Naria Upazila|Bhojeswar]], [[Bengal Presidency]], [[British India]]
| death_date = {{death date and age|1976|04|08|1896|08|20|df=yes}}
| death_place = [[Kolkata]], [[West Bengal]], India
| position = [[Defender (association football)|Defender]]
| years1 = 1907–1912
| clubs1 = Kumartuli AC
| caps1 = ?
| goals1 = ?
| years2 = 1912–1936
| clubs2 = [[Mohun Bagan AC|Mohun Bagan]]
| caps2 = ?
| goals2 = ?
| nationalyears1 = 1924 – 1930s
| nationalteam1 = [[India national football team|India]]
| nationalcaps1 = ?
| nationalgoals1 = ?
}}

'''Gostha Behari Pal''' (20 August 1896 – 8 April 1976) was an Indian professional [[association football|footballer]]. He was first captain of [[India national football team|India national team]], played during the 1920s and 1930s.

==Personal life==
Pal was born in [[Naria Upazila|Bhojeswar]], [[Faridpur District|Faridpore]], [[Bengal Presidency]] (currently located in [[Bangladesh]]). He moved to [[Kolkata]] when he was an infant and lived there till his final days.

==Football career==
Nicknamed as "Chiner Pracheer" (The Wall of China) he was one of the best defenders of contemporary Indian football. He started playing for [[Kumortuli|Kumartuli A.C.]] aged 11, and joined [[Mohun Bagan]] at the age of 16. In 1921, Gostho Paul was honored with the captaincy of the Mohun Bagan football team, and he remained as the club captain for next 5 years. In 1924, he was also appointed as the captain of the Indian national football team. He retired in 1935.<ref>{{cite web|title=Gostho Pal: The Chinese Wall of Indian Football|url=http://liveindianfootball.netne.net/1_65_Gostho-Pal-Indian-Football-Legend.html|work=Live Indian Football}}</ref>

==Legacy==
A statue was erected In his memory in 1984 on the Gostho Pal Sarani<ref>{{cite web|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/football/top-stories/People-forgetting-Gostha-Paul-Son/articleshow/4916338.cms?referral=PM|title=People forgetting Gostha Paul: Son|work=The Times of India|access-date=22 January 2016|archive-date=17 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210717124708/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/football/top-stories/People-forgetting-Gostha-Paul-Son/articleshow/4916338.cms?referral=PM|url-status=live}}</ref> in [[Kolkata]].

==Awards==
*Awarded [[Padma Shri]] in 1962, fourth highest civilian award in India.<ref>[http://www.hinduonnet.com/tss/tss2915/stories/20060415012103900.htm "India's greatest footballer"] (about Sailen Manna), SportsStar, ''The Hindu'', 15 April 2006 {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070123220454/http://www.hinduonnet.com/tss/tss2915/stories/20060415012103900.htm |date=23 January 2007 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=National Award winning Footballers |url=http://www.indianfootball.de/data/nationalawards.html |website=indianfootball.de |publisher=Indian football |access-date=25 January 2019 |archive-date=1 October 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181001123849/http://www.indianfootball.de/data/nationalawards.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
*Mohun Bagan 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.

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
* [http://liveindianfootball.netne.net/1_65_Gostho-Pal-Indian-Football-Legend.html Live Indian Football: Legends' Corner]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070927210527/http://home.123india.com/alokghosh/Heritage/Our%20Sportsmen.htm 123india.com]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080914072626/http://www.kolkatafootball.com/kolkatafootball_indian_legend_footballers_profile.html Kokatafootball.com]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20100627120345/http://www.mohunbaganclub.com/goshtopalreport.html Mohunbaganclub.com]
* [http://www.espncricinfo.com/travel/content/story/494282.html Cricinfo article on Pal's resistance]

{{Padma Shri Award Recipients in Sports}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Paul, Gostha}}
[[Category:1896 births]]
[[Category:1976 deaths]]
[[Category:Indian footballers]]
[[Category:Footballers from West Bengal]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Padma Shri in sports]]
[[Category:Association football defenders]]
[[Category:Mohun Bagan AC players]]
[[Category:People from Naria Upazila]]
{{India-footy-bio-stub}}

Gostha Pal - Revision history

imported>JJMC89 bot III at 20:52, 27 August 2021