BPAI hands out financial support to Maidan trio

Olympians Sattar and Pal were present, but due to ill-health could not speak. Their family members spoke for them.

The money was given from the Rs 5,00,000 given to the FPAI by the organisers of soccer great Diego Maradona8217;s recent trip to the city for helping out three former players.

Sattar represented the country at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics, while Keshto Pal was a part of the Indian squad which finished fourth in the Melbourne Games four years later.

8220;We are now young, in the pink of health. But we don8217;t know what is going to happen to us 10 years from now when we retire from the game,8221; FPAI president Baichung Bhutia said at the function. 8220;It8217;s the present generation8217;s way of thanking the past veterans, and giving out a message that they are not alone in their struggles,8221; Bhutia said. The Sikkimese sniper announced that the remaining amount of Rs 11,000 would be equally distributed among four physios.

However, amidst the heartening development, Subrata Bhattacharya chose a different path, refusing to donate his portion of the money to the former international footballers.