Kalu Khan

Kalu Khan (1911 – 30 July 1970), alternatively spelled as Kaloo Khan, was a football player most remembered for being the long-time custodian of Calcutta's Mohammedan Sporting Club. He was a key player during Mohammedan Sporting Club's heyday in the 1930s.

Early life Kalu Khan was born in 1911 in Nasirabad, Ajmer, British India. He learned football while growing up among soldiers.

Club career Khan would first represent various British Army teams stationed in the Delhi Cantonment, playing for the Friends Union and participating in several military and regional tournaments throughout British India, including the Maharaja Dattaya Shield held in Rajasthan.

Khan (sitting in the middle last row) with 1940 CFL winning Kolkata Mohammedan. In 1933, he toured Calcutta with the football team of the B.B & C.I. Railway, playing exhibition matches against Mohammedan Sporting and Mohun Bagan. Khan quickly became a key player in Mohammedan Sporting's remarkable ascent, assisting the team in winning the Calcutta Football League in 1934 and becoming a member of the first Indian side to win the First Division championship. From 1934 until 1938, the team won five league titles in a row.

He also participated in the IFA Shield, when he was seriously hurt while playing the East Yorkshire Regiment at the Eden Gardens. He shattered his right shinbone after colliding with an opponent while successfully stopping a goalbound shot, forcing him to temporarily retire from first-class football.

He would go on to play for the club till the mid-1940s and last appeared for Mohammedan Sporting Club in the 1947 IFA Shield during the turbulent period surrounding the Partition of India. In a match against Bhawanipore Club, he suffered another shin injury while making a crucial save, which led to his final retirement from competitive football. He was survived by his wife, three sons, and two daughters. Calcutta Football League: Winners (7): 1934, 1935, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1940, 1941 Durand Cup: Winners (1): 1940 IFA Shield: Winners (3): 1936, 1941, 1942