AIFF Grassroots Day: “Make a name which shines even after your death all around the world.” These lines fit on PK Banerjee. A legend of football in India is now honoured for his birthday as Grassroot day of AIFF.
PK Banerjee is one of the greatest personalities in Indian football. In 1969 when FIFA organised a coaching class for football in Japan by German coaches PK joined the coaching and passed as the first class student. Banerjee played a pivotal role in 1962’s historic gold Medal win at Asian Games.
As Dr. Shaji Prabhakaran says, “however, we often forget Pradip da was a teacher par excellence too. Once he hung up his boots, he took up coaching and for the next 30 years, produced an array of players, who excelled at the National and International levels. While his role as a National and a club coach is much discussed, the Indian football fraternity cannot forget PK da’s contribution at the grassroots level, his leadership at the Tata Football Academy, his ability to inspire and fine-tune the budding talents whenever with the junior National teams.”