Arunava about Football A look at football & the world through my eyes!
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Long-Time East Bengal manager Swapan Ball died in the early hours of Friday, July 28 at a Kolkata nursing home after losing his fight against cancer. He was 71 and is survived by his wife and two daughters with their families.
In recent times cancer had taken its toll on Swapan Ball’s health with him losing weight and being unable to come to his beloved East Bengal regularly, which over the decades had become his second home. For the players often Swapan Ball was East Bengal then as a team manager he was always present, took care of their matters and even was a sort of team psychologist with his pre-match pep talk.
Swapan Ball was more to East Bengal Club then just a team manager, who over three decades in the local leagues, all India tournaments, then National Football League/I-League and Asian competitions was the club representative, who was knowledge and not shy of a discussion.
But he wasn’t always easy then he had an opinion which did not always go down well with everyone and anything green and maroon was not to his liking. It could get rough and tough, but fair play was also part of his nature. Especially once the drama of a Kolkata derby had died down.
My first meeting with Swapanda was way before I started working in football. I was still a kid and my uncle had taken me to the East Bengal club tent. Swapanda showed the ‘German’ as he called me around the tent and the ground. It was nowhere near what it is today, but Swapanda proudly showed me around his East Bengal Club. He did it a few more times over the years, whenever there we renovations, updates and upgrades to the facilities of the club.
Dear Swapanda, thank you for all that. Do rest in peace!!!
