Bhubaneswar: Nanda Kishore Patnaik — a renowned football coach from Odisha — breathed his last while undergoing treatment for Covid-19 at a private hospital in Bhubaneswar in the wee hours of Tuesday. He was 65.
In an Odia tweet, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik mourned the coach’s demise.
According to a source, coach Patnaik had tested positive for COVID infection and was undergoing treatment for the disease for last several days. He breathed his last around 3:00 am Tuesday.
Patnaik was born March 16, 1956 in Baripada town of Mayurbhanj district. Known for his sporting spirit and amicable behaviour, he had represented Odisha twice in Junior Football Championship in 1977 and 1978.
Patnaik’s journey as a coach started in 1992-93. In 1995, he started giving training to women footballers. International women footballers who have been groomed under his watchful eyes include Sradhanjali Samantaray, Ranjita Mohanty, Prasanti Pradhan, Sudipta Dash, Sarita Jayanti Behera, Mamali Das and Prathama Priyadarshini.
Patnaik’s untimely demise sent a shock wave among the sporting fraternity.
PNN