One of Indian football's greatest, PK Banerjee dies at 83

 PK Banerjee, a footballing colossus of his time and a raconteur for life, died here on Friday d 83, having dribbled and dazzled for a good part of his mind-boggling 51 years of service to game. He was suffering from respiratory problems due to pneumonia and had an underlying history of Parkinson's disease, dementia and heart problem. Banerjee, who was on life support at a hospital here since March 2, bread his last at 12:40 pm. He is survived by daughters Paula and Purna, who are rewned academicians, and younger bror Prasun Banerjee, a sitting Trinamool Congress MP.

Born on June 23, 1936, in Moynaguri on outskirts of Jalpaiguri in West Bengal, Banerjee's family relocated to his uncle's place in Jamshedpur before partition. 1962 Asian Games gold medallist's best days as a player coincided with Indian football's golden era. He scored 65 international goals in 84 appearances for national team. His contribution was duly recognized by FIFA which rated him as India's greatest player of 20th century, bestowing him with Centennial Order of Merit in 2004. From his debut for Bihar in Santosh Trophy as a 16-year-old in 1952 to a stint as Mohammedan Sporting coach 51 years later, Banerjee takes leave as one of India's greatest.

A member of holy trinity, that also included Chuni Goswami and Tulsidas Balaram, Banerjee was last surviving scorer of 1962 Asiad gold-winning team. Ar one his bright moments with national team was a fourth-place finish at 1956 Melbourne Olympics, where India beat Australia 4-1. In final of 1962 Asiad, India prevailed in front of a hostile crowd angered by chef de mission Guru Dutt Sondhi's remark that it was 'Jakarta Games', for barring countries like Taiwan and Israel.

Banerjee scored opener in that game. He was captain of Indian team that last played Olympics in Rome 1960. He retired as a player in 1967 after being laid low by recurring injuries. But n went on to accumulate a staggering 54 trophies as a coach. He pulled off a heist as Mohun Bagan coach when y famously held New York Cosmos 2-2 in an exhibition match starring Pele in 1977. star of Indian football when sport was at its peak, Banerjee never played for Mohun Bagan and East Bengal, representing Eastern Railways all his life.

"Chakri charle khabo ki (What will I eat, if I quit)," was Banerjee's famous answer to t playing for 'Big Two'.

Having started off his Kolkata club career with little success at Aryan FC, Banerjee was rejected by Mohun Bagan after a "disastrous" exhibition match against legendary T Aao-led Manipur.In Aryan too, he was an "outcast" and n coach Dasu Mitra would shower him with choicest of abuses, something, Banerjee said, had played a part in shaping his career."I was seriously thinking of leaving Kolkata and returning to Jamshedpur when Bagha Shome, one of most respected coaches n, offered me a job in Indian Railways and an opportunity to play for Eastern Railway." rest, as y say, is history.

A FIFA-certified coach, Banerjee had a coaching career as illustrious as his playing one, beginning with Bata SC and Eastern Railway. Having struck gold as a player, a young 35-year-old Banerjee was made a joint India coach with G M Basha, and y delivered a bronze at Bangkok Asiad in 1970. Within a year at helm, Banerjee guided India to a joint triumph at Singapore Pesta Sukan Cup in 1971. East Bengal won five CFL titles on trot under his tutel.

He also delivered at Mohun Bagan, guiding m to a treble -- IFA Shield, Rovers Cup, and Durand Cup -- in 1977. He was coach of Mohun Bagan that famously held n Soviet Union team, Ararat Yerevan, in 1978 IFA Shield final.Back at East Bengal, Banerjee oversaw ir famous 4-1 win over arch-rivals in 1997 Federation Cup semifinal.