๐๐บ ๐๐ข๐ด๐ฑ๐ฆ๐ณ ๐๐ณ๐ข๐ด๐ต๐ฐ / ๐๐ถ๐ธ๐ข๐ช๐ต
The Salgaocar Legends WhatsApp Group was shaken by tragic news this morning (12th October 2020) -- the death of former India Team captain Carlton Chapman.
S. Venkatesh, current assistant-coach of India, a legend of Salgaocars, and a home-town Bangalore friend of Carlton broke the news early this morning which left everyone shattered.
Carlton died of cardiac arrest soon after he had complained about pain in his back around 3am.
Venkatesh (in a phone-call) shared many other details about Carlton, and more importantly the latterโs love for football and for coaching young would-be champions. Venkatesh said he had met Carlton a few days back in Bangalore during a coaching session conducted by both of them.
Many of the Salgaocar icons have been teammates of Carlton Chapman at club and country -- like Franky Barreto (East Bengal & India), Bruno Coutinho, Robert Fernandes, Alvito, Savio Medeira, Jules Dias, Venkatesh, Seby Coelho, Juze Siddi, etc, while many of us had played opposite the legend, numerous times.
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Carlton Chapman, with his natural smile, was one of the best midfielders during the 1990s and the early 2000s and had even donned the captainโs armband for India.
He was no gallery player, yet he entertained Fatorda stadium spectators plenty of times during his days with East Bengal and JCT โ making those tireless runs while never ever intentionally hurting any opponent.
Bruno Coutinho, under whose captaincy Chapman had donned the blue jersey for India said Indian football had lost one of its great former players.
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Young people in the prime of their life โ especially footballers who have been so active all life โ arenโt supposed to die from heart disease. But it occasionally happens, making sudden cardiac arrest front-page news.
Is it due to the pressures of life? The hated nature of cardiac among the youth is precisely what makes it so notoriously attention-grabbing.
Carlton played for India so many times. Does AIFF or our local federations do anything to see our footballers are settled well in life after football and fame, do they help them to 'live' and enjoy the game they love?
We all wonder if anything could have been done to prevent such an event in Carlton Chapmanโs life.
๐ ๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐๐น ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฏ๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ต๐ผ ๐ฏ๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ด๐ต๐ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฒ ๐๐ผ ๐๐ป๐ฑ๐ถ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ณ๐ผ๐ผ๐๐ฏ๐ฎ๐น๐น -- ๐ฏ๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ป