imported>Lugnuts: Adding local short description: "Indian footballer", overriding Wikidata description "Indian footballer and football manager" (Shortdesc helper)

2020-06-06T11:41:19Z

Adding local short description: "Indian footballer", overriding Wikidata description "Indian footballer and football manager" (Shortdesc helper)

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{{short description|Indian footballer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2016}}
{{Use Indian English|date=September 2016}}
{{Infobox football biography
|embed =
|name = Simon Sundararaj
|image =
|image_size =
|caption =
|fullname = Simon Sundararaj Swamidas
|birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1937|11|09|df=yes}}
|birth_place = [[Tanjore]], [[Madras Presidency]], [[British India]]
|death_date =
|death_place =
|height =
|position = [[Midfielder]]
|youthyears1 =
|youthclubs1 =
|years1 =
|clubs1 = South Indian Railways
|caps1 =
|goals1 =
|totalcaps =
|totalgoals =
|nationalyears1 =
|nationalteam1 = [[India national football team|India]]
|nationalcaps1 =
|nationalgoals1 =
|medaltemplates =
|manageryears1 =
|managerclubs1 = [[Kerala football team|Kerala]]
}}

'''Simon Sundararaj''' (born 9 November 1937) is a former [[India]]n [[Association Football|footballer]] and played as a [[midfielder]] for [[India national football team|India]]. He represented South India Railways in the club level. As a coach, he coached the [[Kerala football team|Kerala state team]] to its first [[Santosh Trophy]] win in 1973.

==Early life==
Sundararaj was born on 9 November 1937, in [[Tanjore]] (now Thanjavur) in the erstwhile [[Madras Presidency]], (now in [[Tamil Nadu]]) of [[British India]]. His uncle was a footballer who played for the local club, Tanjore United. Sundararaj, as a kid followed him to all his matches, and subsequently took to football. He holds a diploma in [[Physical education]].

==Career==
Playing for the [[India national football team|Indian national team]], Sundararaj wore jersey number 23. He was the first from [[Tamil Nadu]] to play in the national team. At the club level, he played for Southern Railways.<ref name="ss1">{{cite magazine |title= That goal against Peru! |url= http://www.sportstaronnet.com/tss3304/stories/20100128504102900.htm |magazine= Sportstar |date= 28 January 2010 |accessdate= 10 October 2014}}</ref>

India qualified for the [[1960 Summer Olympics|1960 Olympics]] in [[Rome]], as the only Asian team. India entered the Olympics winning the [[Football at the 1960 Summer Olympics – Men's qualification|Asian qualifiers]] beating a higher ranked [[Indonesia national football team|Indonesian team]] 6–3 on aggregate. Sundararaj finished the tournament scoring three goals. In the group stage at the Games, India played its first match against [[Hungary national football team|Hungary]] losing the match 1–2. The next match against [[France national football team|France]] was drawn at 1–1. Failing to qualify for the next round, India played its final group stage match [[Peru national football team|Peru]] and lost the match 1–2. Sundararaj scored India's lone goal in the match with a 30-yard strike. Ever since, India failed to qualify for the Olympic Games. This made Sundararaj the last Indian to score at the Games.<ref>{{cite news |title= The tale of an unsung hero |url= http://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/the-tale-of-an-unsung-hero/article830164.ece |newspaper= The Hindu |date= 14 October 2010 |accessdate= 10 October 2014}}</ref> Following a [[cartilage]] tear that he sustained during the Madras United Club tournament the following year, he lost his place in the team that won the gold at the [[1962 Asian Games]] in [[Jakarta]].<ref>{{cite news |title= TN hand in Kerela's first title |url= http://www.deccanchronicle.com/140126/sports-football/article/tn-hand-kerelas-first-title |newspaper= Deccan Chronicle |date= 26 January 2014 |accessdate= 10 October 2014}}</ref>

Following his playing career, Sundararaj qualified himself as a coach at the [[National Institute of Sports|Netaji Subhas National Institute of Sports]], [[Patiala]]. He coached and managed the [[Kerala football team|Kerala state team]] that won its first [[Santosh Trophy]] in 1973.<ref name="ss1" />

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Cite sports-reference |title = Simon Sundararaj |url = https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/su/simon-sunder-raj-1.html |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200418084655/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/su/simon-sunder-raj-1.html |url-status = dead |archive-date = 18 April 2020 |access-date = 11 October 2014 }}

{{India men's football squad 1960 Summer Olympics}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sundararaj, Simon}}
[[Category:1937 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Indian footballers]]
[[Category:India international footballers]]
[[Category:Footballers from Tamil Nadu]]
[[Category:Olympic footballers of India]]
[[Category:Footballers at the 1960 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:People from Thanjavur]]
[[Category:Association football midfielders]]

Simon Sundararaj - Revision history

imported>Lugnuts: Adding local short description: "Indian footballer", overriding Wikidata description "Indian footballer and football manager" (Shortdesc helper)