THE BLOG BY CPD FOOTBALL | The World of Indian football and beyond by Chris Punnakkattu Daniel

BREAKING NEWS: Sailen Manna is no more

Sailen Manna

Sailen Manna

Legendary Indian footballer Sailendra Nath Manna, commonly known as Sailen Manna, has passed away at the age of 87.

The former Indian national team captain and one of the greatest Indian defenders passed away at 1.55 IST according to information coming out of Kolkata.

Sailen Manna started his club football with Howrah Union, before he joined Mohun Bagan AC. Manna played for Mohun Bagan for a period of 19 years till his retirement in 1960.

Manna led the Indian national team to the Gold Medal in the 1951 Asian Games, besides several other laurels including four consecutive titles at the Quandrangular Tournament between 1952 and 1956.

The English FA rated Manna as one of the ten best skippers of the world in its yearbook in 1953, while the All India Football Federation (AIFF) awarded him the “Indian Footballer of the Millennium” Award in 2000.