Sailen Manna Biography 
Sailen Manna was a legendary football player from West Bengal. Manna is widely regarded as one of the best defenders India has ever produced. He played international matches for India during 1948-1956. He also served as captain of Indian team for Olympics and Asian Games. He played with Mohun Bagan for long 19 years. His name was included in the list of ‘10 best Captains in the world’ by English FA in 1953. He is the only Asian Footballer ever to reach this achievement. He was awarded the "Footballer of the Millennium" by All India Football Federation in 2000. Government of India honoured with Padma Sri in 1971. He passed away in Kolkata on 27 February 2012 aged 87.
His full name is Sailendranath Manna. He was born in Kolkata in 1924. He worked for the Geological Survey of India. Manna started his professional career in the year 1940 after he joined the sports club, Howrah Union. He joined Mohun Bagan in 1942, and served as a member for long 18 years till his retirement in 1960. He served as the Captain of Mohun Bagan from 1950 to 1955. He served as the defender for his team.
He joined National team in 1948 and participated in 1948 London Olympics. Later he served as a captain of national team and led the team in 1952 Olympics. Gold Medal in the 1951 Asian Games is his best achievement as the captain of Indian team. Quandrangular Tournament for four consecutive years from 1952 to 1956 was also a great achievement as the captain of national team. He was honoured with Banga Bibhushan by Government of Bengal for his outstanding contributions to Indian sports. Government of India honoured him with Padma Sri.
Published: N/A
Updated: July 09, 2016
