Chinghla Mong Chowdhury Mari
Chinghla Mong Chowdhury Mari (; 29 September 1938 – 10 May 2012), simply known as Mari Chowdhury, was a Bangladeshi football player who played as a left-winger. He is considered to be the best East Pakistani footballer of all time, and one of the few to play for the Pakistan national team. Although most of his goals are unregistered, Mari is the unrecognised all-time top scorer in both Dhaka League and Bangladeshi top-tier football history with 234 goals. Early life
Mari was born in Chandraghona, Rangamati on 29 September 1938. He lost his father at a young age, and was raised by his mother. Mari's mother Occho Moyee and father Pastor Thysau Chowdhury, where from the Bomang Royal Family, but was expelled from the royal family for accepting Christianity. Mari was the youngest in a family of 3 brothers and 1 sister. Mari's school life began at the Baptist Mission Boys School in Barishal. In 1951, Mari played for Firingi Bazar in the Chittagong League while still in tenth grade. Mari did his HSC from Jagannath University in 1956 and finished his studies from the same University in 1959. Career

Player
Mari represented Barisal District and East Pakistan Railway at the Ronald Shield in 1951 and 1952 respectively. He spent five consecutive seasons playing in the Chittagong League, before moving to Azad Sporting Club in the Dhaka League in 1956. The same year, Mari and Nabi Chowdhury, were the only two Bengali footballers to find a place in the Pakistan national team for two friendlies against Singapore and Ceylon. In the 1957  National Football Championship, the East Pakistan White team led by Mari finished runners-up, losing 2–1 in the final. Mari was named the best player of the tournament. In 1958, the famous East Pakistani attacking trio of Kabir Ahmed, Ashraf Chowdhury and Mari caught the eye of India while representing Mohammedan SC at the IFA Shield. The same attacking line represented Pakistan at the 1958 Asian Games in Tokyo, Japan. During the tournament, Mari suffered a leg injury at the. As a result, he walked away from the national team, however, he continued to play in the domestic league for another decade. Played in Azad Sporting Club, Dhaka Wanderers and EPIDC the latter being his final club in 1967. Aside from domestic football, Mari again played in the National Football Championship in 1959, with East Pakistan. He played for Dhaka Jagannath College in 1957–58 and won the Sir AF Rahman Shield and Governors Cup for them. Coach
After the Independence of Bangladesh, he served as the head coach for Team BJMC (formerly EPIDC), Bangladesh Government Press and Bangladesh Trading Corporation. In 1982, he guided BRTC FC to promotion to the Dhaka League by winning the Dhaka Second Division League. He remained as the head coach of the club until 1984, and had a fairly successful stint as coach in top-tier. Honours

Player
Azad Sporting Club
Dhaka League =  1958

Dhaka Wanderers Club
Dhaka League =  1960

EPIDC
Dhaka League = 1967

East Pakistan White
National Football Championship runner-up = 1957

East Pakistan
National Football Championship runner-up = 1959

Manager
BRTC Football Club
Dhaka Second Division League = 1982

Awards and accolades
1981 − National Sports Awards

Personal life and legacy
Mari, was also involved in other sports, in 1954, he won gold in high jump and silver in 100m sprint at the National Olympics for Pakistan. Mari was a regular member of the East Pakistan Volleyball team and also captained the side. During the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971, he served as captain of Sector 1 in Agartala and later as Quartermaster under Major Ziaur Rahman, for nine months. He was married to late Indulekha Murruy(renowned sports journalist-Kira Jagat) with three sons(Elder-Hla Sumon Chowdhury, Middle-Hla Mong Bobby Murruy, Youngest-Hlaching Mong Issac Murruy). Mari received the National Sports Awards, in 1981. In 2001, Mari was given a special award as the Best Footballer from the Rangamati Hill District Council. On 9 May 2012, Mari passed away, while being admitted at the Holy Family Hospital. He had been suffering from Alzheimer’s since 2008, and also had skin cirrhoses, which forced him to be hospitalised. He left behind a wife and three sons

In 2012, the National Sports Council changed the name of the Rangamati Stadium to Ching Lah Mong Chowdhury Murruy Rangamati Stadium, to commemorate the late footballer. In February 2020, a mural of the Mari was innagurated  in Rangamati. Bibliography

References

1938 births
2012 deaths
Bangladeshi men's footballers
Pakistani men's footballers
Pakistan men's international footballers
Mohammedan SC (Dhaka) players
Team BJMC players
People from Rangamati District
Marma people
Jagannath University alumni
Men's association football wingers
Bangladeshi football managers
Footballers at the 1958 Asian Games
Asian Games competitors for Pakistan
Recipients of the Bangladesh National Sports Award
Mukti Bahini personnel
Sportspeople from Chittagong Division