Olympian T Shanmugam, born on June 19, 1920, will turn 90 on Saturday and fittingly, he will mark the occasion by watching the World Cup at his home in Indiranagar.“Football has given me everything,” said Shanmugam, who looked in good shape barring the obvious signs of age.
“I am very thankful for the wonderful game as it kept me in shape and continues to give me everything I need to this day. I have always stayed away from bad habits. I have not smoked or had a drink (alcohol) in my life and that is the secret of my long life.”
A student of Austin Town High School and RBANMS High School, Shanmugam represented Maharaja Socials and Bangalore Student Football Club in the Bangalore Senior Division League but his big jump came when he joined the Sullivan Police Sports Club of the Bangalore Police Force in 1941.
“I started by watching the Britishers playing at the Garrison ground and Police ground. We used to practice with tennis balls in school and it helped us learn how to control the ball.
“They taught me a lot. They always encouraged us and it played a big part in what I have become.” The captain of the Mysore team which won the Santosh trophy in 1946 and 1952, the midfielder was part of the Indian team at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics as well as the Asian Games gold-winning team of 1951.
He said playing barefoot gave the Indians a distinct advantage but when boots were made mandatory, they simply could not make the change. “After the Helsinki Olympics in 1952, we were asked to start wearing boots. We just could not adjust to it.”
Shanmugam, who also had a bright innings as a coach, guiding Karnataka to Santosh Trophy success and Goa’s Salgaocar Sports Club to Federation Cup triumphs, tipped either Argentina or Brazil to win the World Cup this time.