He was born in 1953 in Tamluk town of Midnapore district (now Purba Medinipur). He had a special interest in football since childhood. He started playing football in his childhood in the city of Tamluk. Being somewhat more seasoned, his preferred place on the football field became the goal line. It was difficult for the other side to score in his presence.
Bhaskar Maity (2) in action in the 1977 Santosh Trophy - THE HINDU ARCHIVES (ভাস্কর মাইতি | भास्कर मैती | Bhaskar Maity)
His name spread as a goalkeeper while studying in college. When the opportunity arose to play, he left Medinipur for Kolkata while studying in college. In Kolkata he used to play for Khidirpur. Football fans in Maidan (Kolkata) used to know him by many names like 'Dharmendra of football', 'Sudarshan Danab (Handsome monster)' etc. He was called 'Dharmendra of Football' for his resemblance to actor Dharmendra.
Bhaskar Maity made his professional debut in 1973. During that time footballer Prasun Banerjee was with him (who is a Member of Parliament from Howrah and West Bengal and also the brother of legendary late footballer P.K Banerjee).
Then the opportunity comes from Mumbai. There he started his journy in the "Indian Cultural League" (This tournament is no longer played). Tatas and Mafatlal were the two best teams of Mumbai football till the mid-1980s. From Mafatlal he made himself fit to play in the national team. He played for mighty Mafatlal Sports Club from 1974 to 80.
After joining Maftalal Sports Club, within a year he got the opportunity to play for the Maharashtra team in the Santosh Trophy. From 1985 to 1989, he played for Maharashtra in the Santosh Trophy.
Leftside - Bhaskar Maity , former goalkeeper of Indian National Football Team / Right side photo courtesy - barclays.co.uk
পThe first opportunity to play outside the country came in 1986. In the same year he played "Agha Khan Cup" and "Dhaka Cup" on foreign soil.
The very next year, in 1986, he got the chance to play in the "Asia Cup" for the national team. Bhaskar Maiti left for Bangkok, Thailand as part of the "Indian National Football Team". He played his first match for his country against Iraq. He was of the most reliable and stylish goalkeepers in the country in the 1970s and ’80s.
Bhaskar Maity , former goalkeeper of Indian National Football Team (ভাস্কর মাইতি | भास्कर मैती | Bhaskar Maity)
Bhaskar Maity’s career, though, was short-lived as he decided to hang his boots at the age of just 25 reportedly due hierarchical politics. After retiring in the mid-1980s, Maity took over as the RCF coach and played a role in honing skills of India regulars Khalid Jamil and Abhishek Yadav. Khalid Jamil and Abhishek Yadav benefitted immensely from his skill training while at RCF. He was in Rashtriya Chemicals and Fertilisers from 1981 to 1982. Bhaskar Maity had also worked as an assistant coach at Mumbai FC and Mumbai Tigers. He was considered a stickler for discipline and training routines.
In an interview he told to Hindustan Times (Dec 10, 2010) –"Only way for the sport to progress in India was to make it attractive as a career option by offering big amount of money to interested youngsters."
His only wish was to see Indian Football reaching to World Class Levels and India reaching to Fifa World Cup Finals.
The Bhaskar Maity was quite popular in Mumbai. Despite his talent, he preferred to stay behind the publicity. Although he moved to Mumbai, he did not forget his birthplace. He took many good footballers from Midnapore to Mumbai. He used to come to Tamluk once or twice a year.
18th August, 2020 (around 6 pm) he passed away at the MGM hospital in Vashi (Navi Mumbai) following brain hemorrhage. Maity was 67 and is survived by his wife, a son and a daughter. Son Adhish Maity is a professional bodybuilder (former football player), daughter Irish Maity is an actress and super model.
(Left) Son Adhish Maity / (Right) daughter Irish Maity.
The Indian football world is mourning Bhaskar's death.
The All India Football Federation (AIFF) president Praful Patel too condoled the former footballer's death –
“Saddened to learn about the passing away of former India goalkeeper, Mr. Bhaskar Maity. He made effective contributions to IndianFootball. My Heartfelt condolences to his family and friends. May his soul rest in peace.”
Bhaskar Maity , former goalkeeper of Indian National Football Team (ভাস্কর মাইতি | भास्कर मैती | Bhaskar Maity)
AIFF General Secretary. Kushal Das said -
"Talented Bhaskar Maity was an inspiration for many. May his soul rest in peace."
Prasun Banerjee said -
"How many memories of playing with him. I will never forget him in my life. We had a great relationship. He had talent. But he left the game at a young age."
Former player Bernard Pereira remembered -
"Maity was a good goalkeeper and a thorough gentleman."
Ratnakar Shetty, a former RCF colleague, remembers Maity as someone who was soft-spoken and well-mannered. -
"He was my senior and was always diligent with training regimen. He was an outstanding goalkeeper and it is a pity that he did not play longer for the national team."
Bhaskar Maity , former goalkeeper of Indian National Football Team (ভাস্কর মাইতি | भास्कर मैती | Bhaskar Maity)
Former national team captain Henry Menezes, who was much junior to Maity, says he brought a lot of flair to goalkeeping -
"He was amazingly acrobatic. He made some unbelievable saves. He was always helpful and had no ego whatsoever and was always willing to help youngsters out."
Henry says Maity's fitness helped him to always be ready as a stand-by goalie in case of an injury or an emergency to the regular goalkeeper.
Legendary goalkeeper Bhaskar Ganguly, who was also a member of the Indian team at the 1978 Asian Games, rued the death of his former teammate -
“I have no words to describe the feeling of passing away of a friend. He was a very nice person. He hailed from Midnapore in West Bengal. He was a very good player and had a very successful career in Mumbai. Whenever we used to travel for away games we used to meet. He was a perfect gentleman.”
Former Sr. Manager Customer Relationship Management at Rashtriya Chemicals & Fertilizers Austin Gerard Coutinho Told -
I got the opportunity to work with Maity 1995 onwards, when as Sports Officer I was usually the third official on the bench. He had a deep reading of the game and an uncanny knack of knowing where a particular attack from the opposition would end up. He would often tell the left back or the right back to be ready and more often than not the ball would end up there. He was famous for his ‘kaatega’ when there was a one on one, and the crowd would react, “Kutta hai kya, kaatega?”
I am sure Khalid Jamil and Abhishek Yadav, two India players, benefitted immensely from his skill training while at RCF.
Bhaskar Maity is squatting, third from left. Photo courtesy: Valerian Viegas and Stephen Godinho (ভাস্কর মাইতি | भास्कर मैती | Bhaskar Maity)
We would often sit and discuss with the team, tactics to adopt against teams like Air-India, Mahindras or any of the other top teams. His inputs would usually help RCF frustrate the opposition. RCF was therefore known as a giant killer.
Maity was a man of integrity and honesty. Someone who could be trusted to fight for you when your life depended on him. If he liked you, he would back you to the hilt; if not, he would avoid you like the plague. However, if one were to find a fault with him, at all, Sit was his man-management skills. RCF scored some memorable wins under Maity. He will be remembered for his daring as a goalkeeper and his devotion to the game after he retired from active football.
Amiya Bhattacharya (East Bengal F.C.), a veteran football player of his contemporaries from Midnapore, told midnapore-dot-in –
“We played at the same time. Bhaskar was very amiable. He also played in Midnapore town. I met him occasionally in Calcutta. The last time I met him in his home town Tamluk. He was a very talented player. Indian football lost a bright star.”
Saddened to learn about the passing away of former India goalkeeper, Mr. Bhaskar Maity. He made effective contributions to @IndianFootball. My Heartfelt condolences to his family and friends. May his soul rest in peace.
