Gostha Pal

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Gostha Pal (August 20, 1896- April 8, 1976) (Bangla: গোষ্ঠ পাল) was an Indian professional football (soccer) player. Although he played exclusively for team Mohun Bagan, football fans around the country respected him and remember him with honour. The great defender, also known as the "Great Wall of China", is still remembered with awe as the barefooted man standing tall in the heart of the Mohun Bagan defence. He retired in 1935.

He was the first Indian footballer to be honoured with the Padma Shri, in 1962. (The second was Sailen Manna in 1970.)^[1]

Mohun Bagan awarded him the Mohun Bagan Ratna, which is given to former greats of that team. In his memory a statue was erected in the Gostha Pal Sarani in Kolkata. An archive was launched in his honour and named the Gostha Pal Archive, inside the Mohun Bagan club premises.