The prolific centre forward was a member of the historic Chuni Goswami-led Blue Tigers side that beat South Korea 2-1 in the 1962 Games final in Jakarta, Indonesia to clinch the gold medal.
All India Football Federation president Praful Patel in his message said, “It’s sad to hear that DM Ethiraj is no more. He was one of the members of the golden generation of Indian Football. I share the grief.”
All India Football Federation general secretary Kushal Das shared, “Ethiraj was a naturally talented and gifted forward. May his soul Rest in Peace.”
At the club level, he represented Madras Engineering Group from 1957 to 1963. He played a crucial part for his team in reaching the final of the DCM Trophy in 1959.
Additionally, Ethiraj represented the Services in the Santosh Trophy from 1958 to 1962. He scored five goals to guide his team to their maiden Santosh Trophy title, beating defending champions Bengal in 1960-61.