Legendary footballer PK Banerjee, who has been battling a chest infection for the last one month, was put on ventilator and his condition is said to be critical.

The 83-year-old former India football captain and coach was admitted to the private hospital on February 6 after he complained of severe chest infection, and his condition has been fluctuating since then.

“He has been put on ventilator on Monday evening and the doctors have administered him with antibiotics. He’s critical,” a family source said.

The hospital also issued a statement, saying that “there has been sudden deterioration in the health condition” of Banerjee.

“He has been shifted to critical care and put on ventilation support on Monday eveining. He is maintaining parameters post ventilation and under close supervision of our panel of specialists,” the statement read.

“The entire clinical team is putting its best effort towards recovery of Banerjee.

“His family members are being updated on his health condition at regular intervals,” it added.

The 1962 Asian Games gold medallist is being treated by a panel of specialists which includes pulmonologist Dr Nandini Biswas, internal medicine and intensivist Dr Tanmoy Banerjee. He is also being supervised by a team of Neurosciences under the care of Dr L N Tripathy and Dr Sunandan Basu.

Banerjee led India in the 1960 Rome Olympics where he scored the equaliser against a formidable French team in a 1-1 draw.

Before that Banerjee represented India in the 1956 Melbourne Olympics and played a key role in their 4-2 win over Australia in the quarter finals.