SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, Sept 11: Former national footballer Josef John (48) was crushed under the Sindri-Dhanbad local train at the Sindri railway station today in the afternoon.
Eye-witnesses said the incident occurred at around 1.20 pm. Josef was seen waiting at platform no. 1 of the station and jumped before the engine. His body was separated into two parts.
Sindri station master Rajkumar Singh told media persons that the engine of the Sindri-Dhanbad passenger train is reverted back after arrival from Dhanbad daily. Today as the engine was coming for attachment with bogie towards Dhanbad, Josef jumped before it.
Pathardih Government Rail Police (GRP) Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Radhik Ranjan Prasad after getting the information reached the Sindri station and sent the body for post-mortem at Shahid Nirmal Mahto Medical College Hospital Dhanbad.
Josef John, a resident of the Sindri Rangamati area, played for Kandra Sporting Club for several years and represented the united Bihar team in the Junior National Football Championship in the 1990s. He was considered the best promising goalkeeper of the state.
He was unmarried and a lone brother among three sisters.
Former joint general secretary of Dhanbad Football Association Md Zubair Alam, SM Hashmi, present secretary Mridul Bose, Faiyaz Ahmed expressed shock over the death of Josef and said that coal belt lost a devoted footballer.
