Sanju Pradhan
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Sanju Pradhan (born 11 March 1989) is an Indian
footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby lea ...
who plays as a winger for Bhawanipore FC in the CFL Premier A. Pradhan has won all the major domestic tournaments available in India besides the
I-League The I-League is the men's second professional football division of the Indian football league system behind the Indian Super League. Administered by the All India Football Federation, it is currently contested by 13 clubs. It operates as a s ...
while playing for East Bengal; he has won 2 Federation Cups in 2009–10 and
2012 2012 was designated as: *International Year of Cooperatives *International Year of Sustainable Energy for All Events January *January 4 – The Cicada 3301 internet hunt begins. * January 12 – Peaceful protests begin in the R ...
while he also has won 1 Indian Super Cup with the club in
2011 The year marked the start of a Arab Spring, series of protests and revolutions throughout the Arab world advocating for democracy, reform, and economic recovery, later leading to the depositions of world leaders in Tunisia, Egypt, and Yemen ...
. He also represented India internationally. Pradhan recently became the Technical Partner for Kipsta (Decathlon Sports India) in 2016.


Career


Early career

Hailing from a Nepali
Newar Newar (; , endonym: Newa; , Pracalit script: ), or Nepami, are primarily inhabitants in Kathmandu Valley of Nepal and its surrounding areas, and the creators of its historic heritage and civilisation. Page 15. Newars are a distinct linguisti ...
family, Pradhan was born to D.B. Pradhan and Sarda Pradhan on 11 March 1989 in the village of Sombaria which is located in the
West Sikkim district Gyalshing District or Geyzing District is a list of Indian districts, district of the Indian state of Sikkim. Its headquarter is Geyzing, also known as Gyalshing. The district is a favourite among trekkers due to the high elevations. Other impor ...
of the Indian state of
Sikkim Sikkim ( ; ) is a States and union territories of India, state in northeastern India. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China in the north and northeast, Bhutan in the east, Koshi Province of Nepal in the west, and West Bengal in the ...
which is located in North East India. Pradhan gained a liking to football at a young age through watching people in his village play the game in their free time. During his child years Pradhan had to play at the school level but because his school did not have a team he had to play for other teams. He then attended the trials for the "Search for more Bhaichungs" at the
West Sikkim district Gyalshing District or Geyzing District is a list of Indian districts, district of the Indian state of Sikkim. Its headquarter is Geyzing, also known as Gyalshing. The district is a favourite among trekkers due to the high elevations. Other impor ...
headquarters. After impressing Pradhan was selected to attend the statewide trials for the program in
Gangtok Gangtok (, ) is the capital and the most populous city of the Indian state of Sikkim. The seat of East Sikkim district, eponymous district, Gangtok is in the eastern Himalayas, Himalayan range, at an elevation of . The city's population of 100 ...
where he passed as well and was one of 30 boys selected from the trial. In April 1999 the boys were sent to the Namchi Sports Hostel Football Academy where they participated in the
Subroto Cup The Subroto Cup International Football Tournament is a prestigious international inter-school football tournament that is held in New Delhi, India. The tournament held annually since 1960, is named after the Indian Air Force Air Marshal Subrot ...
every year. Pradhan was also selected by the Sikkim football team at junior level. In 2006 Pradhan joined the Sports Academy of Sikkim after he and the other boys were sent there. That same year Pradhan, along with teammate
Nirmal Chettri Nirmal Chettri (born 21 October 1990 in Melli, Sikkim) is an Indian footballer who plays mainly as a defender and last played for Southern Samity in the Calcutta Football League. Club career Early career Chettri began his footballing career ...
, was invited for a trial with
Prayag United S.C. The United Sports Club () is a professional football club based in Kolkata, West Bengal, India. United SC was founded in 1927. The club competes in the I-League 2, as well as the Calcutta Football League, the oldest football league in Asia. ...
of
Kolkata Kolkata, also known as Calcutta ( its official name until 2001), is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of West Bengal. It lies on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River, west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary ...
but neither player passed the trial. Then in October 2006, after a great performance in the All India Governors Gold Cup Football Tournament for the Sports Academy of Sikkim, Pradhan was scouted by then
Air India FC Air India Football Club is a football section of the same-named Indian institutional multi-sports club. Founded by Anand Prajapati in 1952, the club is based in Mumbai, Maharashtra. Sponsored by Air India, the club previously played in the Mu ...
coach Bimal Ghosh and was offered a chance to join the current
I-League The I-League is the men's second professional football division of the Indian football league system behind the Indian Super League. Administered by the All India Football Federation, it is currently contested by 13 clubs. It operates as a s ...
team. After going through then Sports Minister, P.S. Golay, Pradhan signed with Air India.


East Bengal

After spending two years at
Air India FC Air India Football Club is a football section of the same-named Indian institutional multi-sports club. Founded by Anand Prajapati in 1952, the club is based in Mumbai, Maharashtra. Sponsored by Air India, the club previously played in the Mu ...
Pradhan signed for
East Bengal F.C. East Bengal Football Club, commonly referred to as East Bengal, is an Indian professional football club based in Kolkata, West Bengal. The club competes in the Indian Super League, the top flight of the Indian football league system. The cl ...
who also play in the
I-League The I-League is the men's second professional football division of the Indian football league system behind the Indian Super League. Administered by the All India Football Federation, it is currently contested by 13 clubs. It operates as a s ...
in 2008. Pradhan scored his first goal for the Red and Gold on 7 February 2009 against his old club now, Air India, in which he scored in the 81st to guarantee East Bengal a 3–1 victory over the Airmen. Pradhan then made his Asian international debut in the
2010 AFC Cup The 2010 AFC Cup was the seventh edition of the AFC Cup, a competition among clubs from member nations of the Asian Football Confederation. With the Asian Football Confederation currently reviewing the format of the AFC Champions League between ...
against
Al-Ittihad Al-Ittihad may refer to: Sports Football Men Teams * Al-Ittihad Club (Jeddah), Jeddah, Saudi Arabia * Al Ittihad SCSC (Tripoli), Tripoli, Libya * Al Ittihad Gheryan, Gharyan, Libya * Al Ittihad Misurata SC, Misurata, Libya * Al Ittihad SC ...
of
Syria Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in West Asia located in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to Syria–Turkey border, the north, Iraq to Iraq–Syria border, t ...
on 10 March 2010 in which East Bengal lost 1–4. Pradhan then went on to score his second ever goal for East Bengal on 29 March 2010 against Salgaocar F.C. at the
Fatorda Stadium Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium (also known as Fatorda Stadium) is a multi-purpose stadium in Margao, Goa, India. The venue has been used to host both football and cricket matches. It is Goa's only international stadium and has a seating capac ...
which turned out to be East Bengal's only goal in another 1–4 loss. He then scored again on 23 May 2010 against Churchill Brothers in which East Bengal drew 2–2. Pradhan did not score again for East Bengal until 29 January 2011 in which he scored again against Churchill Brothers in yet another 2–2 draw. Pradhan then scored probably his most memorable goal on 6 February 2011 in which he scored in the 8th minute from the penalty spot against historic rivals of East Bengal,
Mohun Bagan A.C. Mohun Bagan Athletic Club is an Indian professional multi-sports club based in Kolkata, West Bengal. Founded in 1889, it is one of the oldest multi-sports clubs in Asia. The club has various sports departments like football, cricket, hockey ...
at the
Salt Lake Stadium The Salt Lake Stadium, officially known as Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan (VYBK), is a multi-purpose stadium, used mostly for football matches, located in Salt Lake City, Greater Kolkata, with a capacity of 68,000 spectators. Named after S ...
in front of 60,000 fans which led East Bengal to a 1–1 draw. Then in 2011 Pradhan was made captain of East Bengal and soon he shown why after he scored 2 goals in 2 matches for East Bengal; the first coming on 2 November 2011 against
Mumbai F.C. Mumbai Football Club was an Indian professional association football, football club based in Mumbai, Maharashtra. The club predominantly competed in I-League, then top flight of Indian football league system. Mumbai also participated in Mumbai ...
and the second against Shillong Lajong F.C. on 6 November 2011. Pradhan then scored again for East Bengal on 30 April 2012 against
Sporting Clube de Goa Sporting Clube de Goa (simply known as Sporting Goa and abbreviated as SCG) is an Indian professional association football, football club based in Panaji, Goa. The club competes in the I-League 2, the third tier of the Indian football league s ...
at the
Salt Lake Stadium The Salt Lake Stadium, officially known as Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan (VYBK), is a multi-purpose stadium, used mostly for football matches, located in Salt Lake City, Greater Kolkata, with a capacity of 68,000 spectators. Named after S ...
in which East Bengal won 3–0. In 2011, he was made club captain. Pradhan then started the 2012-13 I-League on the a regular substitute but then he sustained an injury in November before returning with a bang on 30 December 2012 in which Pradhan started his first I-League match of the season and scored his first brace of the season as East Bengal went out 3–0 winners over Pailan Arrows at the
Kalyani Stadium Kalyani Stadium is a stadium in Kalyani, West Bengal, Kalyani, West Bengal, India. The stadium holds 20,000 spectators. It usually hosts matches of the I-League and the Calcutta Football League. About It is the home stadium of Mohun Bagan A. ...
.


Dempo

Sanju Pradhan joined
Dempo Dempo Mining Corporation Limited is a prominent mining company from the western Indian state of Goa. The mineral business was founded by Vasantrao S. Dempo in 1941, along with his younger brother Vaikuntrao Dempo. Vasantrao was the founding c ...
on loan from IMG Reliance on 30 December 2013.


Salgaocar

In 2015 Pradhan joined
Salgaocar Salgaocar Football Club (formerly Salgaocar Sporting Club) is an Indian professional football club based in Vasco, Goa. Being one of the country's most successful clubs, it is currently operating youth teams. Until the disfunction of its seni ...
on a season long deal, also getting to be re-united with his schoolmate and childhood friend Bikash Jairu.


Return to East Bengal

In December 2015 it was announced that Pradhan would be returning on loan to his former club for the 2016 season.


Mumbai City

In 2017, Pradhan joined
Mumbai City FC Mumbai City Football Club is an Indian professional Football club (association football), football club based in Mumbai, Maharashtra. It is part of the City Football Group. The club competes in the Indian Super League, the top tier of the Ind ...
and became the first person to play for four different ISL clubs. He stayed with the club for the following season.


Career statistics


International


Honours

East Bengal * Federation Cup: 2009–10,
2012 2012 was designated as: *International Year of Cooperatives *International Year of Sustainable Energy for All Events January *January 4 – The Cicada 3301 internet hunt begins. * January 12 – Peaceful protests begin in the R ...
* Indian Super Cup:
2011 The year marked the start of a Arab Spring, series of protests and revolutions throughout the Arab world advocating for democracy, reform, and economic recovery, later leading to the depositions of world leaders in Tunisia, Egypt, and Yemen ...
*
IFA Shield The IFA Shield is a football competition organized by the Indian Football Association, the football governing body in the Indian state of West Bengal. The IFA came into existence in 1893, and was named after the association. The IFA Shield to ...
: 2012 *
Calcutta Premier Division The Calcutta Football League (CFL) is a ladder-based association football, football competition in the Indian state of West Bengal, organised by the Indian Football Association, Indian Football Association (WB) as part of the Indian State Leagu ...
: 2010, 2011 Atlético de Kolkata *
Indian Super League The Indian Super League (ISL) is a professional association football league in India and the highest level of the Indian football league system. Administered by the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and its commercial partner Football Sport ...
2014 The year 2014 was marked by the surge of the Western African Ebola epidemic, West African Ebola epidemic, which began in 2013, becoming the List of Ebola outbreaks, most widespread outbreak of the Ebola, Ebola virus in human history, resul ...
Bhawanipore *Naihati Gold Cup: 2022 * CFL Premier Division A runner-up: 2022 India *
SAFF Championship The SAFF Championship (erstwhile SAARC Gold Cup and SAFF Gold Cup), is the primary association football competition contested by the senior List of men's national association football teams, men's national teams of the South Asian Football Fede ...
:
2015 2015 was designated by the United Nations as: * International Year of Light * International Year of Soil __TOC__ Events January * January 1 – Lithuania officially adopts the euro as its currency, replacing the litas, and becomes ...
*
Nehru Cup The Nehru Cup was an international football tournament organised by the All India Football Federation (AIFF), named after the first Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru. It was launched in 1982, but was not held from 1998 to 2006. After ...
:
2012 2012 was designated as: *International Year of Cooperatives *International Year of Sustainable Energy for All Events January *January 4 – The Cicada 3301 internet hunt begins. * January 12 – Peaceful protests begin in the R ...


References


External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Pradhan, Sanju 1989 births Living people Indian men's footballers India men's international footballers Indian Gorkhas Air India FC players East Bengal Club players Dempo SC players Salgaocar FC players Calcutta Football League players I-League players ATK (football club) players Indian Super League players 21st-century Indian sportsmen Men's association football wingers People from Soreng district Footballers from Sikkim NorthEast United FC players FC Pune City players DSK Shivajians FC players Mumbai City FC players Minerva Academy FC players