Sailen Manna

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Sailen Manna
Personal information
Full name	Sailendra Nath Manna
Date of birth	September 1, 1924 (1924-09-01) (age 83)
Place of birth	Howrah, West Bengal, India
Playing position	Defender
Senior clubs1
Years	Club	App (Gls)*
1940-1942 1942-1960	Howrah Union, Kolkata Mohun Bagan	? (?)  ? (?)
National team
? – ?	India	?(?)
1 Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. * Appearances (Goals)

Sailen Manna (born September 1, 1924) is an Indian International Footballer and is considered to be one of the best Defenders India has ever produced^[1]. He has represented and captained India in different International Conpetitions including 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.^[2] He is the only Asian Footballer ever to be named among the 10 best Captains in the world by the English FA in 1953.^[3]

Contents 1 Club career 2 International career 3 Honours & Awards 4 References

[edit] Club career

Manna started his playing career for Howrah Union, then a club in the 2nd Division Kolkata Football League, in 1940.^{[4] [5]} 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.^[6] 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.^[8]

[edit] International career

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.^[9] 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.^[10] In 1953, the England Football Association rated him among the 10 best skippers of the world in its yearbook.^[11] Manna was also the captain of the Indian team in 1952 Olympics and a member of the 1954 Asian Games.

[edit] Honours & Awards

1. Included in the list of the 10 best Captains of the world by English FA in 1953.^[12]
2. Awarded Padmashree in 1971 by the Government of India.^[13]
3. Awarded the "Footballer of the Millennium" by All India Football Federation in 2000.^[14]
4. Awarded "Mohun Bagan Ratna" in 2001.^[15]

[edit] References