| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 1936 | ||
| Place of birth | Hyderabad | ||
| Date of death | 24 November 2008 (aged 72) | ||
| Place of death | Bokaro, India | ||
| Height | 1.82 m (5 ft 11 1⁄2 in) | ||
| Playing position | Goalkeeper | ||
| National team | |||
| India | |||
| † Appearances (Goals). | |||
Peter Thangaraj (1936 – November 24, 2008) was an Indian football player. Thangaraj played for the Indian national side at the 1956 Melbourne and 1960 Rome Olympics. He was Voted Asia’s best goalkeeper in 1958.[1] Thangaraj was a recipient of Arjuna Award for the year 1967.[2]
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Thangraj was born in 1936 in Hyderabad State. He started his football career with Morning Star Club and Friends Union Club of Secunderabad. He joined the Indian Army in 1953 and began representing the Madras Regimental Centre where he played as a centre forward, but took to goalkeeping subsequently with great success. Madras Regimental Centre won the Durand Cup in 1955 and 1958. Thangaraj captained the Services team for its first-ever triumph in the Santosh Trophy in 1960.
After leaving Services, Thangaraj played for Kolkata giants Mohammedan Sporting (1960–63, 1971–72), Mohun Bagan (1963–65), and East Bengal (1965–71) and was a huge fan favorite at the time. He was part of the Bengal team, which won the Santosh Trophy in 1963. Later, he led the Railways in 1965 and won the Santosh Trophy for them. Along with the likes of Chuni Goswami and P. K. Banerjee, Thangaraj was one of the mainstays of the Indian team in 1960s and 70s.
Thangaraj had an illustrious international career. His first stint with the Indian team was the Quadrangular Tournament held at Dacca in 1955. He played for India both at the 1956 and 1960 Olympics, and represented India at 1958 Tokyo, 1962 Jakarta, and 1966 Bangkok Asian Games. India won the Gold Medal at the 1962 Jakarta Asian Games. He represented India at the Merdeka Cup tournament held at Kuala Lumpur from 1958 to 1966. He also represented India at the 1964 and 1966 Asian Cup held in Israel and Burma respectively. He was named the Best Goalkeeper of Asia in 1958 and awarded the Arjuna Award in 1967. He twice played for the Asian All-Star team and was adjudged the Best Goalkeeper in 1967. Thangaraj retired from active football in 1971 and then took to coaching.[3][4]