Kolkata: Former captain Samar ‘Badru’ Banerjee, who led the Indian football team at the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne, has passed away.
In Melbourne, the Indian team finished in historic fourth place. He passed away early this morning after a prolonged illness. He was 92 years old.
Banerjee, popularly known as ‘Badru Da’, was suffering from several ailments.
He was admitted to MR Bangar Hospital on July 27 after testing positive for Covid-19.
The Indian football team has participated in three Olympic games so far and the 1956 team led by Banerjee has performed the best in these games.
The Indian team lost 0-3 to Bulgaria to finish fourth in the bronze medal play-offs. This period is considered to be the ‘golden age’ of Indian football.