In a cricket-crazy nation, Bengaluru has bred several prominent football stars, who have played a significant role in shaping the sport for India. Two areas that share the crown are Austin Town and Gowthampura .Narayanaswami Ulaganathan from Gowthampura , also known as little Brazil, holds the record for scoring the first hat-trick in the Durand Cup while representing Mohun Bagan.
The CIL football team of 1978-79.
Recollecting how his passion started for football, Mr. Ulaganathan said, “Poongam Kannan, Sattar Basheer, Ambrose would complete their league in Kolkata and come to play in Gowthampura , and we would also practise with them.”Mr. Ulaganathan’s journey started with Bangalore Mars Football Club. After joining the CIL, he started playing with the likes of Krishnaji Rao, Noor and Amjad Khan. “In 1972, I played for India at the Olympics qualifiers in Burma. Next year, I played the Merdeka tournament in Malaysia, after which in 1974, I got an offer from Mohun Bagan, where I played for three years. After that, I played for East Bengal for three years,” Mr. Ulaganathan said.He also played for Mohammedan Sporting FC for a year.He represented India at the 1974 Asian games in Iran and the Kings Cup in South Korea. He hung up his boots in 1985. He has also won two awards from the West Bengal government - ‘Banga Ratna’ and ‘Banglar Gaurav’. Currently, he is the brand ambassador for the Karnataka Football Association.
