Rahul Kumar (25 March 1985 – 20 May 2021) was an Indian professional footballer who played as a defender. He began his career with upstart club Pune in 2007 before moving to Kolkata and signing with Mohun Bagan. He spent one season with Mohun Bagan before signing with city rivals Chirag United. The next year, he moved to Goa and signed with Salgaocar before ending his career with Churchill Brothers.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Rahul Kumar | ||
| Date of birth | 25 March 1985 | ||
| Place of birth | Chandigarh, India | ||
| Date of death | 20 May 2021 (aged 36) | ||
| Place of death | India | ||
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (1.81 m) | ||
| Position(s) | Defender | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2007–2010 | Pune | ||
| 2010 | Mohun Bagan | ||
| 2011 | Chirag United | ||
| 2012– | Salgaocar | ||
| Southern Samity | |||
| –2016 | Churchill Brothers | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 04:55, 21 May 2021 (UTC) | |||
Career
editBorn in Chandigarh, Kumar began his career playing in school tournaments before representing Punjab in the Santosh Trophy in 2005.[1] His performance during the Santosh Trophy led to him signing with new I-League 2nd Division club Pune prior to their inaugural 2008 season.[2] He made his debut for the club in their debut match on 26 March 2008 against Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, starting in the 2–1 victory.[3]
In April 2009, Kumar was part of the Pune side which earned promotion to the I-League, the top flight of Indian football, following the 2009 season.[4] After one season in the I-League with Pune, Kumar signed with Kolkata club Mohun Bagan prior to the start of the 2010–11 season.[5] Following the season though, Kumar left and joined Chirag United.[6] He spent a season with club before moving to Salgaocar.[1]
Later in his career, Kumar signed with Southern Samity and Churchill Brothers.[1] He retired in 2016 due to a physical illness.[1]
Death
editOn 20 May 2021, Kumar died at the age of 36.[1] Reports indicated that Kumar had been suffering from liver cancer and had recently contracted COVID-19.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f Biswas, Koushik (20 May 2021). "প্রয়াত মোহনবাগানের প্রাক্তন ফুটবলার রাহুল কুমার". Ei Samay Sangbadpatra. Retrieved 21 May 2021.
- ^ "Indian Football Transfers 2007". indianfootball.de.
- ^ "Indian Football March 2008". indianfootball.de.
- ^ "Indian Football April 2009". indianfootball.de.
- ^ Chaudhuri, Arunava (4 June 2010). "Indian Football : Mohun Bagan name 2010/11 squad". SportsKeeda. Retrieved 21 May 2021.
- ^ "Indian Football: Transfer Season 2011 - Version 10". sportskeeda. 24 September 2011. Retrieved 21 May 2021.