When the late Princess Margaret, younger sister of Queen Elizabeth II of England, asked a soft-spoken Indian footballer how he could defend so well against the tough Europeans while playing bare feet, Sailendranath (Sailen) Manna replied that the strength lay in the mind.
Manna, who marshalled the defence as the centre-back, had to tackle the question from the young royalty during a reception at the Buckingham Palace, after India had its first international outing at the London Olympics in 1948. The man, who typified the resurgence of India as a footballing nation after independence, lost his battle against a host of age-related ailments at a city nursing home in the early hours of Monday.
At 87 (born September 1, 1924), Manna's stature as a footballer remained undiminished drawing awe and reverence from generations of Indian footballers, most of whom knew him from the records and stories about him being the most complete footballer the country has ever seen. No wonder the whole football fraternity came together in an unusual show of spontaneity to pay homage to the legend, who served as an emissary to the best of Indian football.
Courtsey: The Hindu
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