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.
Chris Punnakkattu Daniel I'm a creative mind working in football management, consulting and media with more than 20 years of experience in football business and sports media. I love travelling, photography and share things I like. Consultancy, Project Management and Public Relations for professional football clubs, federations, media and corporates on (Indian) football. Indian football expert, writer and blogger. Strategic Advisor to Women's Bundesliga 2 side FSV Gütersloh 2009. Former COO cum Assistant Editor-in-Chief of IndianFootball.Com and its parent company. [+ Read more]