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==Playing career==
==Playing career==
Born in [[Bagdogra]], Bhattacharya began his playing career with Town Club in [[Berhampur]], representing them in the [[IFA Shield]].<ref name = "Goal">{{cite web|url=http://www.goal.com/en-india/news/136/india/2015/07/19/13704072/legendary-indian-coach-sushil-bhattacharya-passes-away|title=Legendary Indian coach Sushil Bhattacharya passes away|date=19 July 2015|location=Kolkata|access-date=22 July 2015|first=Atanu|last=Mitra|publisher=[[Goal (website)|Goal]]|website=www.goal.com|archive-date=24 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924145235/http://www.goal.com/en-india/news/136/india/2015/07/19/13704072/legendary-indian-coach-sushil-bhattacharya-passes-away|url-status=dead}}</ref> He then played for [[Vidyasagar College]] and Sporting Union, before signing for [[East Bengal F.C.|East Bengal]] in 1945.<ref name = "Goal"/> With East Bengal, he achieved the double in 1945 by winning both the [[Calcutta Football League]] and [[IFA Shield]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=History|url=https://www.eastbengalfootballclub.com/history.php|access-date=18 June 2020|website=eastbengalfootballclub.com|archive-date=9 June 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190609144426/https://www.eastbengalfootballclub.com/history.php}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=1940S TO 1960S |url=http://eastbengalfootballclub.com/legacy.php?p=1940s-to-1960s|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120329172756/http://eastbengalfootballclub.com/legacy.php?p=1940s-to-1960s|archive-date=29 March 2012 |access-date=10 August 2012 |work=East Bengal Football Club}}</ref> His consistent performances on both flanks in a 3–2–5 formation helped the team achieving success and earned him a [[India national football team|national team callup]] in 1946. He spent four seasons for the "red and gold brigade", played until 1949.<ref name = "Goal"/>
Born in [[Bagdogra]], Bhattacharya began his playing career with Town Club in [[Berhampur]], representing them in the [[IFA Shield]].<ref name = "Goal">{{cite web|url=http://www.goal.com/en-india/news/136/india/2015/07/19/13704072/legendary-indian-coach-sushil-bhattacharya-passes-away|title=Legendary Indian coach Sushil Bhattacharya passes away|date=19 July 2015|location=Kolkata|access-date=22 July 2015|first=Atanu|last=Mitra|publisher=[[Goal (website)|Goal]]|website=www.goal.com|archive-date=24 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924145235/http://www.goal.com/en-india/news/136/india/2015/07/19/13704072/legendary-indian-coach-sushil-bhattacharya-passes-away|url-status=dead}}</ref> He then played for [[Vidyasagar College]] and Sporting Union, before signing for [[East Bengal F.C.|East Bengal]] in 1945.<ref name = "Goal"/> With East Bengal, he achieved the double in 1945 by winning both the [[Calcutta Football League]] and [[IFA Shield]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=History|url=https://www.eastbengalfootballclub.com/history.php|access-date=18 June 2020|website=eastbengalfootballclub.com|archive-date=9 June 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190609144426/https://www.eastbengalfootballclub.com/history.php}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=1940S TO 1960S |url=http://eastbengalfootballclub.com/legacy.php?p=1940s-to-1960s|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120329172756/http://eastbengalfootballclub.com/legacy.php?p=1940s-to-1960s|archive-date=29 March 2012 |access-date=10 August 2012 |work=East Bengal Football Club}}</ref> His consistent performances on both flanks in a 3–2–5 formation helped the team achieving success and earned him a [[India national football team|national team callup]] in 1946. He spent four seasons for the "red and gold brigade", played until 1949, refusing [[Gostha Pal]] and Abhilash Ghosh's offers of joining [[Mohun Bagan AC|Mohun Bagan]].<ref name = "Goal"/>


He later earned a call-up to the [[India national football team|national team]] in 1946.<ref name = "Goal"/> Bhattacharya moved to [[South-East-Central Railway Sports Club|Eastern Railway]] in 1949, returning briefly to East Bengal on loan in 1951, for the [[Durand Cup]].<ref name = "Goal"/> At the tournament, they defeated Rajasthan Club 2–1 in final and lifted their first ever Durand Cup. He also appeared with [[George Telegraph SC|George Telegraph]] in Calcutta Football League.<ref name="Anandabazar"/>
Bhattacharya moved to [[South-East-Central Railway Sports Club|Eastern Railway]] in 1949, returning briefly to East Bengal on loan in 1951, for the [[Durand Cup]].<ref name = "Goal"/> At the tournament, they defeated Rajasthan Club 2–1 in final and lifted their first ever Durand Cup. He also appeared with [[George Telegraph SC|George Telegraph]] in Calcutta Football League.<ref name="Anandabazar"/>


==Coaching career==
==Coaching career==

Revision as of 10:07, 22 October 2022

Sushil Bhattacharya
Personal information
Date of birth 1924
Place of birth Bagdogra, Bengal Presidency, British India
Date of death 18 July 2015 (aged 90)
Place of death Kolkata, India
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
Town Club
Vidyasagar College
Sporting Union
1945–1949 East Bengal
1950–1956 Eastern Railway
1951East Bengal (loan)
Managerial career
1961–1962 East Bengal
1971–1972 Tollygunge Agragami
1975 India women
1975–1977 Bengal
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Sushil Bhattacharya (1924 – 18 July 2015) was an Indian football player and coach. He was the first manager of the India women's national football team.[1][2] He was also the first head coach in the history of East Bengal.[3][4]

Playing career

Born in Bagdogra, Bhattacharya began his playing career with Town Club in Berhampur, representing them in the IFA Shield.[5] He then played for Vidyasagar College and Sporting Union, before signing for East Bengal in 1945.[5] With East Bengal, he achieved the double in 1945 by winning both the Calcutta Football League and IFA Shield.[6][7] His consistent performances on both flanks in a 3–2–5 formation helped the team achieving success and earned him a national team callup in 1946. He spent four seasons for the "red and gold brigade", played until 1949, refusing Gostha Pal and Abhilash Ghosh's offers of joining Mohun Bagan.[5]

Bhattacharya moved to Eastern Railway in 1949, returning briefly to East Bengal on loan in 1951, for the Durand Cup.[5] At the tournament, they defeated Rajasthan Club 2–1 in final and lifted their first ever Durand Cup. He also appeared with George Telegraph in Calcutta Football League.[8]

Coaching career

After retiring as a player, Bhattacharya began his coaching career with Eastern Railway, as an assistant coach.[5] He was deputy of Bagha Shome at the club, which was then consisting players like P. K. Banerjee, Pradyut Burman, Prashanta Sinha, Nikhil Nandy and others. He later became the first-ever permanent "head coach" coach of East Bengal.[5][9] He won the IFA Shield and Calcutta League with East Bengal in 1961.[10]

Bhattacharya also managed Tollygunge Agragami and helped the team gaining promotion to the CFL first division.[5] He also helped Tollygunge reaching the IFA Shield final in 1971, in which they were beaten by Mohammedan Sporting.[11] He then took charge of different age group teams of Bengal alongside the Narendrapur Ramkrishna Mission College football team and Kolkata Veterans Club.[12]

In 1975, an advertisement appeared in the local newspapers that notified that a women’s team will be formed to represent Bengal. 150 girls like us had no idea about how the things work in professional football. Sushil Bhattacharya selected 16 girls that day. Apart from me, Shanti Mullick, Minati Roy, Shukla Dutta and Judy D’Silva were among the few who made the cut. The trial was held at the Kalighat ground. He was more like a father to us. Most of his students have served the nation for a long time. The biggest quality of his was not to get involved in any controversy ever. Also coaches often get criticized for their actions, but this was rarely the case for Sushil Da, such was the respect for the man. It was great to see the whole Kolkata football fraternity getting united to pay him the last homage. As a man who loved to keep himself away from fanfare, he never got his due recognition. We, be it the male or the female footballers, have been lucky to get him as a guide. As Sanjoy was telling today, we have to carry forward his legacy to develop Indian football further.

— Kuntala Ghosh Dastidar, Indian international, sharing her memories with Goal.com, after Bhattacharya's passing away in 2015.[5]

In 1975, he came the first-ever manager of the Bengal women's team, and the first-ever manager of the newly formed India women's national football team.[5][10][13] Credited for nurturing Indian women talents like Shanti Mullick,[14] Bhattacharya also guided Bengal junior and sub-junior teams achieving nationwide success.[8]

Death

Bhattacharya died of cancer at his home in Tollygunge, Kolkata, on 18 July 2015, aged 90.[8]

Honours

Player

East Bengal[15]

Eastern Railway

Manager

East Bengal[16]

Tollygunge Agragami

See also

References

  1. ^ "How women's football in India lost its way". Live mint. 28 July 2017. Archived from the original on 8 August 2018. Retrieved 8 August 2018.
  2. ^ Chaudhuri, Arunava. "Gender and sport in India: aspects of women's football". indien-netzwerk.de. Archived from the original on 5 April 2005. Retrieved 8 August 2018.
  3. ^ Sportstar, Team (1 August 2020). "100 years of East Bengal: A timeline". Sportstar. Archived from the original on 29 June 2021. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
  4. ^ The World Sports Today (1 August 2020). "100 years of East Bengal: A timeline of Kolkata giant's key milestones". The World Sports Today. Archived from the original on 27 June 2021. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Mitra, Atanu (19 July 2015). "Legendary Indian coach Sushil Bhattacharya passes away". www.goal.com. Kolkata: Goal. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 22 July 2015.
  6. ^ "History". eastbengalfootballclub.com. Archived from the original on 9 June 2019. Retrieved 18 June 2020.
  7. ^ "1940S TO 1960S". East Bengal Football Club. Archived from the original on 29 March 2012. Retrieved 10 August 2012.
  8. ^ a b c "ইস্টবেঙ্গলের প্রথম কোচ প্রয়াত" [First coach of East Bengal passed away]. www.anandabazar.com (in Bengali). Kolkata: Anandabazar Patrika. 19 July 2015. Archived from the original on 16 August 2022. Retrieved 10 October 2022.
  9. ^ Kapadia, Novy (14 September 2017). "When East Bengal officials 'begged, pleaded, cajoled' team to beat arch-rivals Mohun Bagan". Scroll. Archived from the original on 10 September 2021. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
  10. ^ a b Arunava Chaudhuri (21 July 2015). "India's first women's football national team coach Sushil Bhattacharya passed away". Sports Keeda. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 22 July 2015.
  11. ^ Chakrabarty, Kushal (12 July 2012). "Mohammedan Sporting Club, Kolkata: A New Horizon | IFA Shield archive". kolkatafootball.com. Kolkata Football. Archived from the original on 9 July 2021. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
  12. ^ Das, Debasmita (14 May 2019). "ইস্টবেঙ্গলের প্রথম পেশাদার কোচ, না পাওয়ার বাস্তবে এ এক অন্য তথ্যচিত্র!" [East Bengal's first professional coach, this is another documentary in reality!]. bengali.indianexpress.com (in Bengali). Kolkata: The Indian Express. Archived from the original on 29 September 2020. Retrieved 9 October 2022.
  13. ^ Doyle, Jennifer (28 January 2010). "A World Cup Dream Revives India's Women's Soccer Team". NY Times. India. Archived from the original on 21 February 2017. Retrieved 7 November 2012.
  14. ^ "Women's Asian Cup - When hosts India grabbed the silver medal in 1979". Goal.com. 14 June 2020. Archived from the original on 19 July 2022. Retrieved 19 July 2022.
  15. ^ "EAST BENGAL CLUB, INDIA – RECORDS, FUNS AND FACTS | SUSHIL BHATTACHARYA – THE FIRST COACH OF EAST BENGAL CLUB – 1961". eastbengalclubrecords.wordpress.com. East Bengal Club. 24 November 2014. Archived from the original on 9 June 2019. Retrieved 9 October 2022.
  16. ^ Basu, Rith (9 September 2012). "Champion of champions with cup full of firsts". www.telegraphindia.com. The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 6 July 2021. Retrieved 6 July 2021.

Bibliography