FULL NAME: Golak Samal
GENDER: Male
BORN: Not known
DIED: 22 May, 2008, aged 81 years.
PARENTS: Father (), Mother (), 6 offspring including son Erick Samal.
HOME ADDRESS: Cuttack, Odisha, India.
ACADEMIC EDUCATION: Not known
TYPE OF FOOTBALLER: Forward
PROFESSION: Worked as football coach at the Department of Sports, Government of Odisha.
PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATION: Diploma in Coaching (Football) from Netaji Subhas National Institute of Sports (NSNIS), Patiala.
OTHER GAMES PLAYED: Athletics (Multiple National medal winner).

MAJOR ACHIEVEMENTS:
*     Played for Indian football team in Kabul during their tour of Afganistan in 1955.
*     Represented Odisha in the Senior Men National Football Championship for 10 years (1946 to 1955).

OTHER IMPORTANT INFORMATION:
*     He was one of all-time great multi-tasking sportsperson of Odisha, excelling in football and athletics.
*     In athletics, he competed in 100m sprint, long jump and pole vault.
*     He was the best sprinter of Odisha with 100m state record for two decades.
*     Represented Odisha National Athletics Championships from 1946 to 1962.
*     Won the pole vault National gold medal in 1948.
*     Government of Odisha honoured him with the Biju Patnaik Lifetime Achievement Award for the year 2002 in 2002. The award carried a cheque of Rs 50,000 and a plaque.
*     His second son Erick Samal played football for Odisha for many years.

PROFILE FIRST UPLOADED: 23 July, 2021