Mahesh Gawli is a former Indian footballer, who retired from football on 26th December, 2011. This was almost two weeks after winning the 2011 South Asian Football Federation Championship with India. Mahesh Gawli had always played as a Centre back but by the end he was a defender for Dempo in the I-League.
Club Career of Mahesh Gawli
Born on 23rd January, 1980, Mahesh Gawli is from Goa. He started playing football from an early age of 8 years and his talent was noticed immediately. Mahesh was a member of the Goa U-12 team that lost against Japan U-12 in 1991-92. Later he joined the Tata Football Academy but his career took off in 1998 after graduating from the academy. He joined the FC Kochin and won the Kerala League before moving on to Churchill Brothers.
From 2000 to 2002, Mahesh Gawli stayed a part of the Churchill Brothers and thrice won the Goa Professional League with them. In the 2001-02 season of National Football League, he helped the Churchill Brothers secure the Runners-up medal before he moved on to Kolkata biggies East Bengal.
Being a part of East Bengal, Gawli had his first success in the 2003-04 National League season and won the prestigious 2003 ASEAN Club Championship. During this championship, Gawli even managed to score a goal against Philippine Army FC. East Bengal completed a treble that season by winning the Kolkata League crown as well.
After being a part of East Bengal for almost 3 years, Mahesh Gawli found his place in the Mahindra United team and under the guidance of Coach David Booth, Gawli honed his football skills. He helped Mahindra win the NFL, Indian Federation Cup, Mumbai Football League and the IFA Shield and was part of the team that participated in the 2007 AFC Cup and went on to reach the last 8 stage. Mahesh Gawli went on to win the best defender award in the 10th NFL for his stellar performances in Mahindra United colours.
In 2007, Gawli moved to Dempo SC from Mahindra and won the 2 I-League titles. He became a regular starter for the club and formed a formidable partnership with Samir Naik. Mahesh helped Dempo reach the semi-finals of 2008 AFC Cup and the pre-quarters in 2011 AFC Cup.
International Career of Mahesh Gawli
In 1996, Mahesh Gawli represented India in the AFC U-16 Championship which was held in Thailand. He was also included in the Asian All Star U-16 team and made his international debut in the pre- Olympic qualifier. The qualifier was held in 1999 and was against Thailand, this cemented Gawli"s place in the Indian team.
Mahesh Gawli has been representing India in international matches since 2001. He has won the LG Cup and several SAFF Cups and was also a part of the historical Nehru Cup International Football Tournament of 2007, where he was the Man of the Match in the final against Syria. In the 2008 AFC Challenge Cup, Mahesh played an integral part in the victory of the Indian football team.
Career Statistics of Mahesh Gawli
Listed below are the international career statistics of footballer Mahesh Gawli:
| Year | Apps | Goals |
| 1999 | 1 | 0 |
| 2000 | 4 | 0 |
| 2001 | 8 | 0 |
| 2002 | 2 | 0 |
| 2003 | 3 | 0 |
| 2004 | 6 | 0 |
| 2005 | 8 | 1 |
| 2006 | 2 | 0 |
| 2007 | 7 | 0 |
| 2008 | 8 | 0 |
| 2009 | 6 | 0 |
| 2010 | 4 | 0 |
| 2011 | 9 | 0 |
| Total | 68 | 1 |
Mahesh Gawli announced his retirement from football on December, 2011 after a 12 year old international career.
