Legendary Indian football winger Surajit Sengupta died at the age of 70 on Thursday. He was battling with COVID-19. (More Football News)
Born on August 30, 1951, he hailed from Chakbazar in the Hooghly district. He was fondly nicknamed Bishu.
The All India Football Federation (AIFF) president Praful Patel, condoling the demise of a legend, said: "It’s sad to hear that Surajit-da, one of the most skillful wingers in the history of Indian Football is no more."
According to reports, Sengupta was being treated by a special team of doctors for the last three weeks at Peerless Hospitex hospital in Kolkata.
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Known for his pace and shooting range, Sengupta was part of the famed Indian set-up in the 70s. After retirement, he was associated with Aajkal in an editorial position and wrote football columns.
West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee hailed him as a heartthrob of football fans. In her condolence message, she wrote: "Lost veteran star footballer Surajti Sengupta today. Heart throb of football fans and an outstanding national sportsman as well as a perfect gentleman, he will ever be in our hearts. Deepest condolences."
Club Career
Sengupta began his club career with Khidirpore Club and represented both East Bengal and Mohun Bagan.
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He played for Mohun Bagan for five years in 1972, 1973, and from 1981-83, scoring 54 goals for the club. Sengupta helped Bagan claim the Rovers Cup title in 1972 (joint-winners), and in 1981, the Federation Cup in 1981, and 1982, the Sait Nagjee Trophy in 1981, the Durand Cup in 1982 (joint-winners), the Darjeeling Gold Cup in 1982 (joint-winners), and the Calcutta League in 1983.
He played for East Bengal from 1974-79, and captained the club in 1978. In the process, he scored 92 goals and helped East Bengal win the Calcutta League in 1974, 1975, 1977, DCM Trophy in 1974, the IFA shield in 1974, 1975, 1976 (joint-winners), the Darjeeling Gold Cup in 1976 (joint winners), the Federation Cup in 1978 (joint-winners), the Rovers Cup in 1975, the Durand Cup, and the Bordoloi Trophy in 1978.
He also represented Mohammedan Sporting in 1980 where he scored one goal for them. He was part of the triumphant Sporting squad which won the Sikkim Gold Cup, the DCM Trophy, and the Rovers Cup (joint winners) that season.
Sengupta was also part of the triumphant Bengal team which won the Santosh Trophy in 1975, 1976, 1977 and in 1978. He scored 26 goals.
India Career
Sengupta made his India debut on July 24, 1974 against Thailand in the Merdeka Cup in Kuala Lumpur. He went on to represent India in 14 international matches.
"His invaluable contribution to Indian Football will always remain with us, and never be forgotten. Indian Football has only got poorer. My condolences to his family. I share the grief," Patel added.
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He was an integral part of the teams which represented India in the Asian Games in 1974, and 1978, the Merdeka Cup in 1974, the President’s Cup in 1977 in Seoul. He also played against the UAE and Bahrain (1979) in friendlies.
AIFF general secretary Kushal Das, in his condolence message, said: “Mr. Surajit Sengupta will always remain alive in his achievements. He was an extremely crafty winger – someone who has been the inspiration for so many generations. My condolences to his family. May his soul rest in peace.”
The Legends
In 2018, Sengupta was conferred with the East Bengal Club Lifetime Achievement Award. Last month, the club lost another legend, Subhas Bhowmick. They were part of a golden generation of Indian footballers who made a mark on the international stage.
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Bhowmick died on January 22. He was 72. Last year, he had rued that Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not send any condolence message on the death of football greats PK Banerjee and Chuni Goswami.
"Our country's Prime Minister did not even have one second to spare for these two greats of Indian football. He could not even post a tweet or send a message," Bhowmick lamented.
"I'm not sure whether he knows or not, our National anthems are being played outside India so many times and these two have played a big role in them."
Banerjee had died on March 20 after a prolonged illness while Goswami succumbed to cardiac arrest on April 30 last year.
