Mahesh Gawli
Encyclopedia
Mahesh Gawli is an India
n footballer. Gawli began playing football at the age of eight as a holding midfielder
for Assumpta High School
U-12 side that beat Japan
U-12 side at home. Thereafter he was selected for SAI
camp at Gandhinagar but he opted to join Goa
for further training.He was trained by Mr.I.P.Nagi S.A.I Football Coach at S.P.D.A Center,Margao Goa from 1991 till he joined TATA Football Academy . In real sense it was Mr. Nagi who developed a real sense of football in Mahesh .He was selected by Mr. Ranjan Chaudhry the head Coach of T.F.A for further training at TATA Football Academy Jamshedpur with other footballer of S.P.D.A Rockey Baretto.Before this he was getting all the facilities which includes coaching under the expertise of Mr.I.P.Nagi, free boarding, free lodging, schooling and medical facilities at Sports Authority Of India,s S.P.D.A Centre at Margao,Goa .This was eagel eye of Mr.Nagi who assessed the playing sense and capabilities of Mahesh and allocated him the Stopper Back Position . At T.F.A his skilled were polished and with the physical development he was groomed as a good player.
He won three consecutive Goa league titles with Churchill and also helped them finish in the top three twice. His dream of winning the National League was fulfilled in the 2003-04 season when he played for East Bengal. Gawli helped the red and gold brigade win the treble as they also won the Kolkata League and ASEAN trophy. After spending two years in Kolkata, Gawli joined Mahindra.
The Goan was at his peak while playing for Mahindra as he won the Best Defender award thrice in a row and won several trophies - the IFA Shield, NFL, Federation Cup, Mumbai League (twice) and entered the AFC Cup quarters. He then joined Dempo and helped them win the inaugural I-League and reach the semis of the AFC Cup. Despite being mostly injured last season, he still played a key role in Dempo's fourth league title triumph.
He has been a mainstay in the national team for more than a decade now. In national team colours Gawli has won the AFC Challenge Cup, 2 Nehru Cups, LG Cup and the SAFF Cup. All his life he has mainly played as a central defender but now in the national team he is being used as a left fullback, with Bob Houghton even saying once that Gawli could have been one of the best right fullbacks of Asia had he played in that position earlier in his career.
since 1997. He currently plays as center-back. With India
he won LG Cup, several SAFF Cups. He was part of the historical Nehru Cup International Football Tournament
2007 win in which he was the man of the match in the final against Syria
. He was also an important part of the victorious India team at the 2008 AFC Challenge Cup
. Mahesh is the only Indian player known to be named in Asian All Star U-16 team.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n footballer. Gawli began playing football at the age of eight as a holding midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
for Assumpta High School
Early days
He was selected for the GoaGoa
Goa , a former Portuguese colony, is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in South West India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its...
U-12 side that beat Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
U-12 side at home. Thereafter he was selected for SAI
SAI
SAI is an acronym for:*The New York Stock Exchange Symbol for Science Applications International Corporation*SAI a graphics painting program for Microsoft Windows*Sailfish...
camp at Gandhinagar but he opted to join Goa
Goa
Goa , a former Portuguese colony, is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in South West India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its...
for further training.He was trained by Mr.I.P.Nagi S.A.I Football Coach at S.P.D.A Center,Margao Goa from 1991 till he joined TATA Football Academy . In real sense it was Mr. Nagi who developed a real sense of football in Mahesh .He was selected by Mr. Ranjan Chaudhry the head Coach of T.F.A for further training at TATA Football Academy Jamshedpur with other footballer of S.P.D.A Rockey Baretto.Before this he was getting all the facilities which includes coaching under the expertise of Mr.I.P.Nagi, free boarding, free lodging, schooling and medical facilities at Sports Authority Of India,s S.P.D.A Centre at Margao,Goa .This was eagel eye of Mr.Nagi who assessed the playing sense and capabilities of Mahesh and allocated him the Stopper Back Position . At T.F.A his skilled were polished and with the physical development he was groomed as a good player.
Club career
A Tata Football Academy graduate, Mahesh Gawli, made his international debut even before he signed for a club at the age of 17 back in 1997. Thirteen years on, he is still considered to be one of the best defenders in the country. Gawli did well even at youth level for India right from the Under-16 level, getting included in the Asian Under-16 All Stars. After graduating from the TFA Academy he joined FC Kochin and spent two years there before signing for Goan giants Churchill Brothers.He won three consecutive Goa league titles with Churchill and also helped them finish in the top three twice. His dream of winning the National League was fulfilled in the 2003-04 season when he played for East Bengal. Gawli helped the red and gold brigade win the treble as they also won the Kolkata League and ASEAN trophy. After spending two years in Kolkata, Gawli joined Mahindra.
The Goan was at his peak while playing for Mahindra as he won the Best Defender award thrice in a row and won several trophies - the IFA Shield, NFL, Federation Cup, Mumbai League (twice) and entered the AFC Cup quarters. He then joined Dempo and helped them win the inaugural I-League and reach the semis of the AFC Cup. Despite being mostly injured last season, he still played a key role in Dempo's fourth league title triumph.
He has been a mainstay in the national team for more than a decade now. In national team colours Gawli has won the AFC Challenge Cup, 2 Nehru Cups, LG Cup and the SAFF Cup. All his life he has mainly played as a central defender but now in the national team he is being used as a left fullback, with Bob Houghton even saying once that Gawli could have been one of the best right fullbacks of Asia had he played in that position earlier in his career.
International career
Mahesh has been representing IndiaIndia national football team
The Indian national football team is the national football team of India and is governed by the All India Football Federation. It is a member of the Asian Football Confederation. Since 1948, the AIFF has been affiliated with FIFA, the international governing body for football. In 1954, AIFF became...
since 1997. He currently plays as center-back. With India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
he won LG Cup, several SAFF Cups. He was part of the historical Nehru Cup International Football Tournament
Nehru Cup International Football Tournament
The Nehru Cup is an international association football tournament organised by the All India Football Federation . It was launched in 1982, but was not held from 1998 to 2006...
2007 win in which he was the man of the match in the final against Syria
Syria national football team
The Syria national football team represents Syria in association football and is controlled by the Syrian Football Association, the governing body for football in Syria. Syria's home grounds are Abbasiyyin Stadium and Aleppo International Stadium...
. He was also an important part of the victorious India team at the 2008 AFC Challenge Cup
2008 AFC Challenge Cup
The 2008 AFC Challenge Cup football tournament was hosted by India and played from July 30 to August 13, 2008. India won the final against Tajikistan...
. Mahesh is the only Indian player known to be named in Asian All Star U-16 team.
International goals
| Goal | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10 December 2005 | Karachi Karachi Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million... , Pakistan Pakistan Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan... |
2-0 | 3-0 | 2005 SAFF Cup South Asian Football Federation Gold Cup 2005 The 2005 South Asian Football Federation Cup was hosted in Karachi, Pakistan from December 7 to December 17.Bangladesh and India played out the final in a repeat of the 1999 final. Just as in the 1999 final, India beat Bangladesh 2-0 with goals from Mehraj Din Wadoo and Baichung Bhutia. Bhutia was... |
External links
- http://the-aiff.com/pages/team/players.php?plyrId=116