Dharmalingam Kannan came to prominence with the Indian team that finished fourth in the 1958 Asian Games in Tokyo. He played in India’s Asian Cup qualification games in 1959 and helped the team qualify for the Rome Olympics. A striker with a powerful shot, his club football was played with East Bengal and he also played state football for Bengal, Hyderabad and Railways in the Santosh Trophy. He suffered health and financial problems in later years, a blood clot on the brain meant that he was unable to work and had to depend on charitable donations for his medical treatment.
India