The Hindu : Sport / Football : Ashoke Ghosh passes away

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Aug 20, 2010
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Sport

Sport - Football

Ashoke Ghosh passes away

KOLKATA: The former secretary of the All India Football Federation, Ashoke Ghosh, passed away at his residence here on Thursday. Ghosh, who died of heart attack, was 78 and is survived by wife, son and daughter.

Ghosh, regarded as one of the stalwarts in sports administration, had a long stint that saw him occupy key positions in different disciplines. He shot into prominence when he was the AIFF secretary from 1980 to 1988.

Ghosh was instrumental in organising the Nehru Gold Cup international tournament that saw top national sides from across the globe, including Argentina, Uruguay, Hungary, Russia, erstwhile Yugoslavia, Poland and Romania. He also served as the AIFF vice-president and chairman of the referees' committee.

“The bold step he took in successfully organising the Nehru Cup established him as a top football administrator in the country,” said Subrato Dutta, the AIFF vice-president and a family friend of Ghosh.

Warm and simple

“He was very down to earth and was loved by one and all for his simplicity and warmth. The ability to be acceptable to all took him to important positions in many disciplines,” he added.

“He was very involved as an administrator. He played a big role in motivating Bengal to win the Santosh Trophy in 1977,” said former India captain Bhaskar Ganguly. “He was a very good judge of talent and was always very fair,” added Ganguly who captained India in the first Nehru Cup in 1982.

Besides football, Ghosh was also associated with the Indian Olympic Association as treasurer and vice-president and was also the chef-de-mission of the Indian contingent in the Barcelona Olympics in 1992.

His long association with the Olympic movement made him the life president of the Bengal Olympic Association. Ghosh also served the president of the Asian Kho Kho Federation. — Principal Correspondent

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Sport