Goa: Former India footballer and Asian Games gold medallist Fortunato Franco passed away on Monday in Goa. He was 84. The All India Football Federation (AIFF) expressed grief on the demise of former Indian National team midfielder, who was one of the pillars of India's last Asian Games gold-winning football team in 1962.
AIFF President Praful Patel said in his message, "It is devastating to hear that Mr. Fortunato Franco is no more. He was a member of the Indian Football’s golden generation who played a stellar role in India helping India win the Gold Medal in 1962 Asian Games. His contribution to Indian Football can never be forgotten. I share the grief."
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Franco was a part of Indian football's golden era between 1960-64. He was a part of the 1960 Rome Olympics squad but didn't get a game. However, he was an integral part of the 1962 Asiad gold winning team in Jakarta, where India beat South Korea 2-1 in the final.
He was also a member of the Indian team in the 1960 Rome Olympics, and the Indian team which finished second in the 1962 Asian Cup, runners-up in the 1964 Merdeka Cup in Kuala Lumpur, and the National team which finished 3rd in the Merdeka Cup in 1965.
At the domestic level, Franco, a Goan, played for the Tata Football Club in Mumbai. He later worked in the company's Public Relations department for four decades before retiring in 1999.