Former India footballer Ashoke Chatterjee passed away at a city hospital in the wee hours of Saturday. He was 78.

Chatterjee, a striker, made his national team debut against Japan in the Merdeka Cup in 1965. The team had won bronze in the competition. He played 30 matches for India and scored 10 goals.

He also represented India in the 1966 Asian Games in Bangkok, and the Asian Cup Qualifiers in 1967. Besides, he was also a part of the Indian team in the Merdeka Cup in Ipoh, and Kuala Lumpur from 1965 to 1968.

Chatterjee’s Maidan days were mostly spent at Mohun Bagan. He joined Bagan in 1961 and played till 1968. From 1969 to 19971 he, however, represented East Bengal. The striker was one of the important members of the East Bengal squad which won the historic IFA Shield in 1970 defeating Pas Club of Iran. He came back to Bagan in 1972.

Overall, he scored 85 goals for Bagan and 38 for East Bengal. Chatterjee also represented Bengal in the Santosh Trophy in 1964 (runners-up), 1966, and 1967 (runners-up) and scored 3 goals.

Last year Mohun Bagan gave him the lifetime achievement award. He was a regular at the Bagan tent till a few years back.

Besides football, he was a keen follower of athletics and music.