Footballer Sudip Chatterjee dies

Kolkata, Sep 18 (UNI) Former Indian national footballer Sudip Chatterjee died here today following a heart attack. He was 47.

One of the finest midfielders the country has produced, Sudip had a career spanning more than a decade in top class football to don the colours of all the three Kolkata big clubs--Mohun Bagan, East Bengal and Mohammedan Sporting.

A find of former Olympian Arun Ghosh, dimunutive footballer, whom former national coach Ciric Milovan had taken much pride in, started as a stopper in Bengal Nagpur Railway (BNR) club in Kolkata first division league before making his debut in a big club when he switched over to Mohun Bagan in 1982.

However, even before that he was selected for the national side for the Mardeca tournament in Malayasia in 1981.

He played for the country in the Asian Games in 1982 as the right back under the coaching of P K Banerjee.

After he opted for East Bengal in 1984, Sudip permanently settled for the central midfield position at the instance of Mr Amal Dutta.

Yugoslav coach Ciric Milovan, who was in charge of the national side in the mid-eighties, also retained Sudip in the same position.

After retiring from top class soccer in 1991, Sudip assumed the role of a coach of West Bengal in Santosh Trophy in 1997-98.

He also coached few small clubs in Kolkata league, but was forced to bid adieu to football because of illness.

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