Former I-League winner Surojit Bose battling with blood cancer

Kolkata : Once a darling of Jose Ramirez Barreto and Yusif Yakubu and a pivotal figure in Mahindra United's National Football League triumph in 2005-06, former India forward Surojit Bose is now battling with blood cancer.

Bose, who has also turned out for India, played just behind ace strikers Brazilian Barreto and GhanianYukubu -- two of the most accomplished foreign forwards to have played in India -- and set up a lot of goals for them during Mahindra United's title winning season just before the inception of the I-League.

The 33-year old, who is admitted in All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) hospital in New Delhi, also plied his trade for MohunBagan and Mohammedan Sporting in Kolkata and was last seen in Bharat FC colours in the I-League in 2014.

"I have been diagnosed with the first stage of blood cancer, Acute myeloid leukemia (AML)," Bose told IANS on Tuesday.

"I was admitted on August 7. I am recovering but it was a manic few days for me since I came to Delhi and I have been fortunate to get help from my former teammates and a few football forums," said the footballer.

Bose, a resident of Kalyani district in West Bengal, was working as a coach for a football development centre in Pune when he fell sick.