Prem Dorji passes away

The body of former India soccer captain Pem Dorji, who passed away at a private nursing home in Calcutta on Thursday night, will be taken to his home town Gangtok for the last rites.

The lanky and amiable Dorji, who captured the imagination of fans in the country with his football skills, died after battling with cancer for the last few months.

His body will be taken by road on a flower-bedecked carriage and is expected to reach Gangtok by early Saturday morning, family sources said.

The city police, who provided a pilot car for the convoy, made all arrangements for transporting the body.

Hailing from Sikkim, Dorji captained the Indian team for a brief period in the mid-eighties and made a mark for himself playing for two major clubs in the city --Mohun Bagan and Mohammedan Sporting.

A defender, who also doubled up as a medio, Dorji had scripted many a memorable performance during a career which spanned nearly a decade.

Several former footballers, many of whom had played with Dorji, visited his residence to pay their last respects. Mohun Bagan club and Mohammedan Sporting also condoled the death of the player, saying it is a "great loss" for the football community.