Kolkata : Former India footballer and the country’s first full time ‘diamond’ coach Amal Dutta died today at his residence because of age related illness, according to his family.
The 86-year-old was bedridden for the last five to six months and had stopped eating.
He breathed his last around 8.10 pm this evening, a family member told PTI.
Dutta is survived by his son Ashish and daughter Anita.
A midfielder, who represented India at the 1954 Asian Games, the former Mohun Bagan and East Bengal footballer later made a name for himself as a tactical genius as he pioneered professional coaching in India.
Known for his humility and gentle behaviour, Dutta was the brain behind Mohun Bagan’s Diamond system — a 4-1-2-1-2 formation — in the late 1990s, that had taken the club to a different level.
“He was an institution in himself. We shall miss you. May his soul rest in peace,” Mohun Bagan said in its homage.
Legendary footballer P K Banerjee who played alongside Dutta in the Indian team described him as a “true fighter”.
