Santo Mitra : I hope the club will in future will bring more professionalism

Friday, July 21, 2006

Former India International & captain of the East Bengal team in 1970, the year the club beat famous Pas Club of Iran in IFA Shield final in conversation with eastbengalfootballclub.com told about his thoughts for his club East Bengal.

Santo Mitra told, "Its a club of love, hatred, feelings, realization and spirit. When the club was founded nobody had ever thought one day East Bengal will be one of the best football club of India and Kolkata, if not of Asia. East Bengal has achieved much more than any other club of India. It was possible because East Bengal people had to fight since their birth against natural calamities in erstwhile East Bengal and that fighting qualities are embedded in their genes."

Regarding the former great of the club, Santo Mitra said, "Unfortunately all the national honours were given to the players of a particular club while our players like Ahmed Khan (snake charmer of Indian football), Byomkesh Bose, Olympians Chandan Singh & Ram Bahadur, Asian Games Gold medallist Prasanta Sinha, Ashim Moulik and creative footballers like Parimal Dey and Kajal Mukherjee did not get any recognition from the government and sports authorities. This is certainly a deprivation of such great players."

Regarding past and present administrators Santo Mitra told, "This club promoted the best administrators in the football arena like Shri J.C. Guha, Dr. Nripen Das who had sacrificed their lives for the club. Thereafter Shri Dipak Das (Paltu) who took over from those two stalwarts proved to be even more efficient in organizing funds, discipline and professionalism in the club. This club although did not introduce any Ratna awards but sincerely respect all the players of yester years, each one of whom is a Ratna and tries to help them as and when needed. I am sure the present generation of officials will take the club to go forward in a long way."