Aditya Kashyap may be proficient in handling corporate affairs with elan but he also proved to be a good player when it came to sports, especially football.

Kashyap (61), who died yesterday after a massive cardiac arrest, had close connections with Jamshedpur — both as a top brass of Tata Steel and a sports lover.

Tata Steel officials recalled him as a man full of energy and a visionary. He was instrumental in conceiving the idea of Tata Football Academy (TFA) and wanted to make it a world-class academy.

Kashyap — who was suffering from cancer — had given several ideas to Russi Mody, his mentor and former Tata Steel managing director, for propelling the academy into a football excellence centre.

Kashyap — who held the chair of the president of the Indian Football Association till his death in Calcutta yesterday — came to Jamshedpur in January this year to remain in the thick of things of Super Soccer. Kashyap was a major force behind reviving Super Soccer in the country.

He used his persuasive skills to convince Tata Sons once again about backing Super Soccer.

“Super Soccer would not have happened without Kashyap. Full credit goes to him for bringing the soccer extravaganza back to the country,” a Tata Steel official added.

Kashyap — an IIT Mumbai and IIM Calcutta alumnus — had almost finalised a tie-up with Sao Paulo, before his untimely death, to send talented youngsters for a coaching stint to Sao Paulo.

Kashyap bade goodbye to Tata Steel along with Mody.

Till his death, Kashyap was the managing director of Mobar India, a company launched by Mody.