Samar “Badru” Banerjee, a former captain of the Indian football team who guided his nation to a record fourth-place finish in the 1956 Melbourne Olympics, passed away here early on Saturday morning following a protracted illness.
He was 92. Banerjee’s daughter-in-law is his sole heir.
He was affectionately referred to as “Badru Da” and was admitted at the MR Bangur Hospital after testing positive for COVID-19 on July 27. He was afflicted with Alzheimer’s, azotemia, and conditions related to high blood pressure.
“As his condition worsened, Arup Biswas, the state’s minister of sports, oversaw his transfer to the publicly funded SSKM Hospital. He passed away around 2.10 am “Debasish Dutta, the secretary of Mohun Bagan, told PTI.
“He was our cherished “Badru Da,” and in 2009, we awarded him the Mohun Bagan Ratna. Another significant setback for the Maidan “He also conveyed a message of sympathy.