Some would say that P.K.Banerjee was the greatest. A newer generation fan would say the answer is easily Baichung Bhutia. Others yet will believe it was some one else. Amitabha Das Sharma writes on Sailen Manna and speaks on why Manna is the greatest in the latest issue of The Sportstar:

Who was the only Asian footballer ever to be named among the best 10 captains in the world? The man in question is Sailendra Nath (Sailen) Manna — the former Indian captain who fetched the country a host of international laurels including the first Asian Games gold in 1951.

Today, Manna, 82, is the representative of the period when Indian football was at its peak. Manna’s exploits at the helm of the Indian national team had prompted the England Football Association to rate him among the 10 best skippers of the world in its yearbook of 1953. That was the best of times. The euphoria of newly gained independence was sweeping across the nation…

The Asian Games triumph came as the high point of achievement. “We had matched our strength with the best in Europe. It was natural that we would be claiming the Asian honour,” says Manna. “Our team had matured in three years after the Olympic voyage and we possessed the best attack in the continent.” India beat Iran 1-0 in the final. “It was the realisation of a dream,” says Manna. “The whole nation backed us to win our first big medal in football.”

Manna’s period coincided with the high points Indian football reached. Football has gone downhill ever since. Indian Football has taken some bold initiatives in the recent past. Here is hoping we regain some lost glory in the future.