The Indian footballing fraternity was left shocked on Saturday morning as news of Subhas Bhowmick’s demise spread. From teammates to junior footballers who played under him, all were in awe of his personality and never-say-die attitude.

The former India midfielder, who was part of the 1970 Asian Games bronze medal-winning member, was suffering from kidney and diabetes-related ailments for a long time and breathed his last around 3.30 am, reportedly because of Covid.

After hanging up his boots, Bhowmick quickly switched to coaching, making his debut on the field as the coach of Mohun Bagan before joining East Bengal where he became most successful guiding red and gold to the ASEAN Cup title in 2003.

When contacted by The Telegraph Online, his long-time friend and teammate Shyam Thapa said, “We have known each other for a long time, since 1970. He was my room partner in overseas tournaments. I remember the time we got selected for the national team together. The camp was taking place in Mumbai. He came to me and we started jumping with joy because it was a big thing for us to represent the national team.”

Shyam Thapa File picture

The former footballer jumped into the sea of nostalgia while remembering his dear friend.

“In the IFA Shield Derby of 1975 where we scored 5 goals against Mohun Bagan, we were awarded a penalty in the second half. I had already scored two goals by then and was on a hattrick but Subhas was the designated penalty taker. Just as he was walking up to take the penalty, I asked him if I could take the spot-kick. He immediately obliged. Although I missed the penalty, I will never forget his generosity. In the Asian games, we used to be a bit scared of the foreign teams but it was Subhas who motivated the team in his own way and encouraged us to play our natural game.”

“I read yesterday that he was being shifted to a better facility. I could not believe the news when I heard it today.”

Sasthi Duley, the ex-East Bengal footballer who won the ASEAN Cup under his coaching, said Subhas was the best Indian coach of all time.

“In the team meeting prior to the ASEAN Cup final, while discussing the opponent team, he asked if we had anyone in the team to stop Therdsak Chaiman, one of the best Asian footballers then. I raised my hand but told him I can’t defend against him after eating pasta all day. I needed my daily staple diet of rice. He arranged for it in a jiffy in Indonesia. After we won the final, he hugged me and said winning trophies would be easier for him if he had players like me on his side. That was probably the greatest compliment I had ever received. In his deathbed, he named me and Dipankar (Roy) as his son and that remains my greatest achievement, even ahead of the Asean cup triumph,” Duley said.

Sasthi Duley Facebook

He also likened Subhas Bhowmick to Kishore Kumar, saying he will forever remain in everyone’s hearts through his achievements. “I will personally pay a tribute to him, something that has not been done by any footballer till now,” Duley said.

Calcutta Maidan saw a fascinating rivalry between Subhas Bhowmick and Subrata Bhattacharya when they both helmed East Bengal and Mohun Bagan respectively.

Bhattacharya remembered Bhowmick as a great human being and blamed the health infrastructure for his sudden demise.

Subrata Bhattacharya File picture

“I feel negligence resulted in his demise. I’d blame the health department if he died of Covid. He was a great footballer, we played together for many years. He gave his all whenever he was on the pitch. When we started our coaching careers, we had our rivalry but we never said a bad word about each other in public, such was the mutual respect between us.”

Alvito D’Cunha, who blossomed under Subhas Bhowmick’s coaching, is of the opinion that Bhowmick’s man-management skill was what set him apart from the other coaches he has worked with.

Alvito D’Cunha Twitter

“It’s a sad day for all the football lovers and a big loss to the football fraternity. He has given so much to Indian football both as a coach and as a footballer. He was always a gentleman, caring for his footballers even outside the training ground. I was very close to him during my playing days in East Bengal. I remember when I had a bad patch, he asked me to stay over at his place. He arranged special training sessions and provided me with a proper diet. It was because of him that I could make a comeback in my career,” said D’Cunha.

When we caught up with Syed Rahim Nabi, an ex-footballer who could play in multiple positions, he was returning from the hospital Subhas was lodged in. The versatile footballer said he owed his transformation to the beloved “Bhombol da”.

Syed Rahim Nabi Twitter

“In my first Calcutta Derby, he made me play in three positions- left-back, right-back and as a winger. I ended up being the man of the match in that game. He was the one who changed my playing position from a striker to left-back and then to midfield. I will always remember him as the one who built me into what I am today. His demise creates a huge gap which will never be fulfilled,” Nabi said.

Mehtab Hossain, another footballer who was under Subhas’ tutelage, regretted the fact that he could not see the stalwart for one last time as he is out of station.

Mehtab Hussain. Twitter

“He had won numerous accolades as a footballer as well as a coach. He has given a lot to Indian football. The team that he managed for East Bengal was full of superstars and it took impeccable man-management skills to build a team around them. His greatest achievement was that he managed to unify the team,” Mehtab said.