P K Banerjee stable after cerebral hemorrhage

Former Indian football ace P K Banerjee suffered minor cerebral hemorrhage, but his condition is stated to be "stable".

Doctors attending on him said it is "minor hemorrhage and no surgical interference is required".

The 70-year-old former national captain and coach, also the first Arjuna awardee among footballers, is under observation in the Intensive Care Unit of the Belle Vue

Clinic. He is responding to treatment and expected to be discharged in a week, doctors said.

Pradip Kumar Banerjee, popularly known as 'PK' in football circles, was a member of the gold medal-winning Indian team at the Jakarta Asian Games in 1962.

Born in Jalpaiguri in North Bengal, he developed into an excellent striker, but despite his brilliance never played for any of the big Kolkata clubs and spent most of his playing days with Eastern Railway after a brief stint with Aryans Club.

Banerjee was also a member of the Indian team that finished fourth in the 1956 Melbourne Olympics. He led the team at the 1960 Rome Olympics, and scored the goal as India held mighty France to a 1-1 draw.

He represented India in three Asian Games from 1958 to 1966 and scored in all matches except the first one.

Post retirement he coached both Mohun Bagan and East Bengal apart from the Indian team at the 1982 Delhi Asian Games.