Sudhir Karmakar
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 1948 | ||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Rishra, West Bengal, India | ||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Defender | ||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||
| 1970–76 | East Bengal | ||||||||||||||||
| 1976–80 | Mohun Bagan | ||||||||||||||||
| 1980–83 | East Bengal | ||||||||||||||||
| International career | |||||||||||||||||
| 1970–1973 | India | ||||||||||||||||
Medal record
| |||||||||||||||||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||||||||||||||||
.svg.png){kind=icon}
Sudhir Karmakar (born 1948), is a retired Indian professional footballer who played as a defender. He played for the India national team, representing the country in the 1970 Asian Games where India finished third and won Bronze. In a domestic career spanning thirteen years between 1970 and 1983, he represented the two Calcutta's football giants, East Bengal and Mohun Bagan, having an unique distinction of winning the coveted treble - IFA Shield, Durand Cup and Rovers Cup with both the teams.
Club career
Sudhir Karmakar was part of the famous 1970s East Bengal side that won the Calcutta Football League consecutively for six times from 1970-75. He joined East Bengal in 1970, and in the first season, he was pivotal in the club winning the League and the IFA Shield, with a memorable performance in the final against PAS Tehran where he was adjudged as the man of the match, having kept the Iranian national team striker Asghar Sharafi nullified throughout the match. He also captained East Bengal in the 1972-73 season, where East Bengal won all five tournaments they participated in, including the coveted triple crown of Indian football: IFA Shield, Durand Cup and Rovers Cup, remaining undefeated throughout the season in all competitions and conceded just three goals.[1] Sudhir Karmakar won a total of 26 major trophies at East Bengal.[2]
Sudhir Karmakar joined Mohun Bagan in 1976 and played 4 seasons. The most memorable season came in the 1977-78 season, where he helped Bagan win their first triple crown and hence having an unique distinction of winning the triple crown with two different clubs.[3]
He left Bagan and rejoined East Bengal in 1980, and helped the club win the 1980 Federation Cup and the Rovers Cup once again. He remained with the club till 1982-83 season, until finally retiring from football.
He also represented West Bengal in the Santosh Trophy.
International career
Sudhir Karmakar was part of the Indian national football team in the 1970 Asian Games where India finished third and won Bronze. He was adjudged as the best defender of the tournament.[4][5]
Honours
East Bengal
- Calcutta Football League (7): 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1982
- Federation Cup (1): 1980
- Durand Cup (3): 1970, 1972, 1982
- IFA Shield (5): 1970, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975
- Rovers Cup (4): 1972, 1973, 1975, 1980
- Bordoloi Trophy (2): 1972, 1973
- DCM Trophy (2): 1973, 1974
- Stafford Challenge Cup (1): 1981
- Darjeeling Gold Cup (1): 1982
Mohun Bagan
- Calcutta Football League (3): 1976, 1978, 1979
- Federation Cup (1): 1978
- Durand Cup (2): 1977, 1979
- IFA Shield (4): 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979
- Rovers Cup (2): 1976, 1977
- Darjeeling Gold Cup (2): 1976, 1977
See also
References
- ^ "Indian Football: East Bengal showers love on former captains". Sportstar. 13 August 2019. Retrieved 12 August 2025.
- ^ "When East Bengal stopped Dok Ro Gang in 1973: Excerpt from Novy Kapadia's 'Barefoot to Boots'". Goal. 17 September 2017. Retrieved 12 August 2025.
- ^ "Top five Indian players who played for both Mohun Bagan and East Bengal". Khel Now. 24 June 2024. Retrieved 12 August 2025.
- ^ "Indian legends recall memories of "best technical side of Asia"". Football Counter. Retrieved 12 August 2025.
- ^ "Indian football's finest: 50 years on, remembering the stars of 1970 Asian Games bronze-winning team". Scroll. 3 February 2020. Retrieved 12 August 2025.