India146;s former soccer captain kills himself on railway tracks

Over 11 years ago, in a hotel room in Kolkata, Indian football captain V P Sathyan saw the future in the hands of a rising star from Sikkim.

Over 11 years ago, in a hotel room in Kolkata, Indian football captain V P Sathyan saw the future in the hands of a rising star from Sikkim. 8216;8216;Watch out for Baichung Bhutia. He8217;s the next big star,8217;8217; he said. Days later, Bhutia hit the headlines, scoring his first international goal against Uzbekistan in the Jawaharlal Nehru Gold Cup tournament.

The hardy Kerala defender had then also dropped a hint that his decade-long India career was nearing an end. Today, it actually ended. Not his career, but his life8212;the 41-year-old was found run over by a train at Pallavaram in the outskirts of Chennai around 11.15 am.

Local police said they have recovered two suicide notes that the footballer apparently wrote, one addressed to his wife and the other to his friends in the media.

The first, police said, mentions that he was ending his life unable to come to terms with his 8220;gambling8221; and 8220;drinking8221; habits that had destroyed him financially. The second note requests the media not to play up his death, and to render all possible help to his wife and 10-year-old daughter.

Says Tamil Nadu Football Association president S Viswanathan, who had once organised a benefit match for Sathyan: 8216;8216;He had met AIFF president Priya Ranjan Das Munshi on July 9, asking for financial help. The president promised to organise a benefit match for him at Chennai8217;s Nehru Stadium. He also assured Sathyan that he would be deputed to look after the Federation8217;s developmental programmes in South Zone. The news of his death has come as a shock.8217;8217; After Xavier Pius, Sathyan was among the next pack of Kerala footballers to make a mark in the harsh world of Kolkata football. Playing for Mohun Bagan, he went on to build a bridge for several Kerala stars to follow.

Says the legendary I M Vijayan, Sathyan8217;s close friend: 8216;8216;He was like my elder brother. He was the man who took me from Kerala to Kolkata and helped most to establish me at the national level. He had told me earlier that he had some financial problems. I never knew it would come to this.8217;8217;

Sources say that Sathyan8217;s financial crisis had prompted his employers, Indian Bank, to consider holding a benefit match for him in Kerala soon. Says D V Sundar, sports secretary of Indian Bank, who was asked to identify the body by Tambaram Railway Police: 8216;8216;In fact, I spoke to him only three days ago. He didn8217;t mention that he was going through a financial crisis. I don8217;t know why he committed suicide.8217;8217;

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Born in Kannur, Sathyan8217;s prodigious talents had been spotted early as he played for the Lucky Star Club in nearby Thalassery that had produced several international players. From 1985 to 1996, Sathyan played over 100 matches for India, captaining the team for the Seoul Asian Games. His most famous moment came in the 1986 edition of the Merdeka tournament when he scored the crucial goal to help India beat Korea 4-3.

Today, as news of his death spread, several sports personalities, including Asian Games gold medallist Shiny Wilson, rushed to the Government General Hospital in Chennai. Wilson said: 8216;8216;I still cannot come to terms with such a humble person throwing himself in front of a speeding train.8217;8217;

Sathyan8217;s body was handed over to his wife who left for Thalassery where the funeral will be held.