Tribute to the death of Indian football legend Surajit Sengupta, led by Mamata Banerjee

Former Indian midfielder and East Bengal legend Surajit Sengupta, who kept the Kolkata ground in the 1970s with his dribbling prowess, died at a city hospital on Thursday following a protracted battle with Kovit-19.

Former Indian midfielder and East Bengal legend Surajit Sengupta, who kept the Kolkata ground in the 1970s with his dribbling prowess, died at a city hospital on Thursday following a protracted battle with Kovit-19. He was 71. After a positive test for COVID-19, Sengupta was admitted to the hospital on Jan. 23 and placed on a ventilator on Monday. He breathed his last in the afternoon.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said in a tweet, "Surajit Sengupta, the senior star footballer who lost today, is the heartbeat of football fans and the best national player and a great man. He will always be in our hearts. Deep condolences."

"His condition was stable, but from Friday he began to develop breathing problems and his oxygen levels began to decline. He has been receiving life support since Monday," hospital sources said.

Sengupta won the hearts of football fans with his magical dribbling skills at the Kolkata ground in the 1970s.

He made his international debut on July 24, 1974,,, against Thailand in the Merdeka Cup in Kuala Lumpur, representing India in 14 matches.

He represented India at the Asian Games in 1974 and 1978, the Merdeka Cup in 1974, the President's Cup in 1977,,, and the international friendly against the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain (1979).

He scored his only international goal against Kuwait at the 1978 Asian Games.

"It is sad to hear that Surajit-Tha, one of the most talented wingers in the history of Indian football, is no more. His invaluable contribution to Indian football will always be with us, never to be forgotten. Indian football has gotten even worse." All India Football Federation President Praful Patel said in his condolence message.

Born on August 30, 1951, Surajit, nicknamed Bishu, hails from Chakbazar in the Hooghly district. He was spotted by Ashwini Bharat, affectionately known as Polada, while young Senkuptha was studying at the Hooghly branch school.

His father, Suhas, was an employee of Dunlap India and he was a footballer and cricketer. Sengupta was raised by Polata in his early years.

Sengupta made a name for himself while studying at Hooghly Mohsin College and was introduced to Robert Hudson, the second division club.

From there, he began his football career at the Guitar Club, which was a hub for promising talent. Prasoon Banerjee, Shyamal Ghosh, Gautam Sarkar,, and Ranjit Mukherjee are from the same club.

From there, Sengupta started at Mohan Bagan under the guidance of the famous Silan Manna and represented the three big clubs of the Kolkata ground.

He played for Mohun Bagan for two seasons from 1972 and in 1974, he made red and gold his home for six consecutive years and became their captain in 1978.

He scored 92 goals for East Bengal and won the Iconic Club 1974, 1975, 1977 Calcutta League, 1974 DCM Trophy, 1974, 1975, 1976 IFA Shield (joint-winners), Darjeeling Gold Cup (Joe 197 Gold Cup 6). , The Federation Cup (joint-winners) in 1978, the Rovers Cup in 1975, the Durant Cup, and the Portfolio Trophy in 1978.

Sengupta was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018 by East Bengal.

For the Marines, he scored 54 goals and helped Rovers win the trophy in 1972 (joint-winners) and 1981, the Federation Cup in 1981 and 1982, the Side Knock Trophy in 1981, the Durand Cup (joint-winners) in 1982, and the Darjeeling 1982 (joint-winners). -Winners) and the Calcutta League in 1983.

He signed Mohamed Sporting in 1980, and a season later, he returned to Mohun Bagan at the end of his career, where he played for another three years.

Sengupta was part of the Bengal Santosh Trophy team that won in 1975, 1976, 1977,, and 1978 and scored 26 goals.