Aditya Kashyap

Calcutta: From now on, Indian football will miss the man who used to say that unless one dreams, one can’t hope to realise them.

IFA president Aditya Kashyap, 61, who passed away in a city hospital following a massive cardiac arrest early on Sunday, was the mastermind behind the Super Soccer series. The former Tata Steel joint MD was also suffering from cancer.

The revival of Super Soccer provided the country a first-hand flavour of international club football.

“Football is a festival and we need to be part of that feeling,” he had said during Sao Paulo’s 2-0 win over Mohun Bagan earlier this year.

AIFF secretary Alberto Colaco is still in shock that he will not be able to listen to the man anymore.

“It’s a personal loss for me… What struck me most were his simplicity, administrative ability and eagerness to raise money and use it for the development of football,” Colaco said from New Delhi.

“He was so much in love with the game that despite being very ill, he went all around the country promoting Super Soccer. At times he was very sick, but never complained.

“I received the news of his death very late in the day. Otherwise I would have flown to Calcutta,” he added.

During Sao Paulo’s five-match series across the country in January and February, Kashyap was present at each venue and made sure that everything went off without a glitch.

That was his trump card — the way he involved himself for the betterment of the game almost unconditionally. It made him instantly popular in the football fraternity.

“We have lost a giant. His love for the game was remarkable, to say the least,” IFA secretary Subrata Dutta said.

With Dutta planning to step down as secretary within a couple of months, the IFA must look for candidates not just for one post, but also for the one left vacant by Kashyap’s untimely demise.

Having assumed office as president about a year ago, Kashyap had called for a three-pronged plan to promote the game in the state. Stressing on nursery level, creating hype for football and marketing it were his aims.

He was instrumental in getting Sahara as a sponsor for the association. Then Sao Paulo landed. “I want to give a proper pedestal to the game so that footballers can live decently by playing,” he had said.

The Brazilians’ arrival in the country was just a small step by Kashyap towards a bigger goal. Unfortunately, he had to leave the job unfinished.