We all look up to stars like David Beckham and Zidane and aspire to be like them. Wealthy, popular, and everything that comes with it.
Is that wrong?
No.
There are times where such players teach you nothing...
You don’t have to be rich to be great. You don’t have to earn £30 million just to prove that you are successful. What’s the world come to, letting a series of numbers in your bank account prove how talented you are?
India’s former captain, a part of the first-ever Indian football team on an overseas tour, a hard-hitting, skilled player and the one and only Asian footballer ever to be named among the best 10 captains in the world, by the English Football Association.
Now declared one of the footballers of the Century by the All-India Football Federation, Sailendra Nath Manna aka Sailen Manna, is a true legend in the history of Indian football.
Born in 1924, he started playing football at the age of 14. The second club he played for turned out to be the opening point of his career, Mohun Bagan, where he played for 19 years.
Manna led India to become Asia’s top team, inspiring more wins than ever. He captained Mohun Bagan and helped them win the Durand Cup three times in a row, with a total win of six in his career.
Times weren’t good for football in Manna’s days, not only had he to play with bare feet but during his 19 years career in Mohun Bagan, he allegedly earned only Rs.19—less than 1 USD.
In 1950, the Indian team had to miss the World Cup as they didn’t know that playing bare feet wasn’t allowed.
Not for money, not for fame but for the love of the game, is what Manna played for and his success showed in his records.
Six Durand Cups, 10 times winner of the Calcutta League as a Captain for Mohun Bagan, two Rover Cups, he led India to four successive titles in the South East Asian quadrangular meet The Padma Shri Awards (A prestigious award given by the Indian Government), he also led India to win the Gold Medal in the 1951 Asian Games.
Never one to strive for richness, Manna lives to see Indian football shine, like many others. As a player, he did not take money from his club, he was happy with the salary he got from his employer and played out of passion and loyalty for his team.
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