Sailen Manna, Indian Olympic footballer died he was , 87

Sailendra Nath Manna , known popularly as Sailen Manna, was an Indian International Footballer and is considered to be one of the best defenders India has ever produced.^[2] He has represented and  Olympics and Asian Games. He also has a record of playing for Mohun Bagan, one of the best clubs in India, for a continuous period of 19 years.^[3] He is the only Asian Footballer ever to be named among the 10 best Captains in the world by the English FA in 1953.^[4]

captained India in different international competitions including

^{(1 September 1924 – 27 February 2012)}

He graduated from the Surendranath College, an affiliated college of the University of Calcutta. He worked for the Geological Survey of India.^[5]

Manna started his playing career for Howrah Union, then a club in the 2nd Division Kolkata Football League, in 1940.^[3][6]After turning out for the club for a couple of seasons, he joined Mohun Bagan in 1942 and continued playing for the club for a period of 19 years, till his retirement in 1960. During this period, he was the Captain of Mohun Bagan from 1950 to 1955.^[3] It is to be noted that during his 19 years career in Mohun Bagan, he reportedly earned only Rs.19^[7] (roughly USD 0.5 based on existing exchange rates). As a defender, he was known for his anticipation, covering and a strong free kick.^[7]

Sailen Manna was a part of the Indian Football Team for the 1948 London Olympics, where Indian lost to France by a margin of 1-2.^[7] Under Manna's captaincy, India won the Gold Medal in the 1951 Asian Games and also won the Quandrangular Tournament for four consecutive years from 1952 to 1956.^[3] In 1953, the England Football Association rated him among the 10 best skippers of the world in its yearbook.^[4] Manna was also the captain of the Indian team in 1952 Olympics^[8] and a member of the 1954 Asian Games.

1. Included in the list of the 10 best Captains of the world by English FA in 1953.^[4]
2. Awarded the Padma Shri in 1971 by the Government of India.^[3]
3. Awarded the "Footballer of the Millennium" by All India Football Federation in 2000.^[9]
4. Awarded "Mohun Bagan Ratna" in 2001.^[10]

After being unwell for quite some time, Manna died at a private hospital in Kolkata on Monday, 27 February 2012. He was 87 years old and was survived by his wife and daughter.^[11]

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