India's first women's football national team coach Sushil Bhattacharya passed away

Sushil Bhattacharya (left) passed away at the age of 90

Sushil Bhattacharya, a former coach of Kolkata giants East Bengal Club and the first coach of the India Women's football national team has died in Kolkata at the age of 90. Born in 1924, Sushil Bhattacharya died in a South Kolkata nursing home by an age-related illness.

East Bengal Club officials paid their last respects to Sushil Bhattacharya and draped his body with the Club Flag and Flowers. The East Bengal Club flag was flown at half-mast in his honour.

Sushil Bhattacharya, who played for East Bengal and Eastern Railway SC in his playing days, coached East Bengal in 1961 and in that season won the Calcutta Football League and the IFA Shield titles.

Bhattacharya as a coach mentored players like P.K. Banerjee, Tulsidas Balaram, Bhaskar Ganguly, Sudhir Karmakar, Krishanu Dey, Subhash Bhowmick and Gautam Sarkar.

Then in 1975, Bhattacharya started women's football in India, becoming the first coach of the India Women's football national team.