Sudip Chatterjee was the captain of India in the 1986 Asian Games in Seoul. But his impact on Indian football was much more than this. Sudip, by far, the finest midfielder of his time, if not one of the best in the history of Indian football. Yet, the man, who dominated the domestic football scene with so much skills and modern day approach to the game, died a tragic death - it devastated everyone in Indian football.

Sudip used to live at Mandirtala, Howrah, the twin city of Kolkata. After his retirement from football due to ill health, he was subsequently also diagnosed with dementia.On September 18, 2006, a piece of guava choked his respiratory tract and he suffered a cardiac arrest. He was declared dead after being rushed to a nearby hospital.

Sudip had played for both Mohun Bagan and East Bengal with distinction for more than a decade, but it was his performance at the international level that marked him out as an extraordinary midfielder. After his 1982 debut with Mohun Bagan, Sudip was included in the Indian Team for the 1982 Asian Games. He was a very dependable member of the Indian Football Team till his retirement in 1992. Sudip represented India in Asian Games, Asia Cup, Pre-World Cup, Pre-Olympic, Merdeka Cup, SAF Games and Nehru Gold Cup. He captained India in SAF Games(1985), Pre-World Cup(1986), Asian Games (1986), Merdeka Cup(1986), Nehru Gold Cup(1985 & 1988) and Asia Cup(1988). The 1992 Asia Cup was his last International tournament.

Initially, Sudip was a central defender, but later turned himself into a midfielder. According to veteran coach Amal Dutta, who passed away a few years ago, this required high footballing skills. His teammates often said Sudip was a combination of powerful football and sublime skills that made him a delight to play with. This, coupled with his willpower to compete and his ability to work hard both at practice and in the gymnasium made him capable to vie with the best in Asia.