Former India footballer Parimal Dey passes away at 81

KOLKATA: Former India footballer Parimal Dey passed away at the age of 81 here on Wednesday after a prolonged illness. Born on May 4, 1941, Dey was conferred with the Banga Bhushan title by the Government of West Bengal in 2019 after his retirement from active football.

A highly skillful inside-left during his prime in the 1960s, Dey made five appearances for India, with his only goal for the country being the an all-important winner against the Republic of Korea in the Bronze Medal match of the 1966 Merdeka Cup in Kuala Lumpur, the only goal in the game.

At the domestic level, he had the honour of winning the Santosh Trophy twice in 1962, 1969. Having played as a forward for East Bengal, he netted 84 goals and also captained the club in 1968.

Dey holds the distinction of winning the Calcutta Football League and IFA Shield double thrice in 1966, 1970, and 1973, and has etched his name in Indian Football folklore by scoring in two IFA Shield finals against BNR (1966) and Iranian side PAS Club (1970), which still stands today as the fastest goal scored by a player after coming on as a substitute in the competition.

The 1966 CFL was a marquee tournament for Dey as he scored in each of the first nine matches. Apart from these, he also won the Durand Cup (1967, 1970), Rovers Cup (1967, 1969, 1973), amongst other tournaments. Dey also went on to play for Mohun Bagan in 1971, winning the Rovers Cup again that year.

The All India Football Federation (AIFF) condoled the demise of the former India International. "Former India star Parimal Dey's demise comes as a big loss for Indian Football. Jangla-da, as he was known to us, was one of the best schemers of the 1960s, and remains in the hearts and minds of the fans till date. My thoughts go out to his family," said AIFF president Kalyan Chaubey.

AIFF secretary general Shaji Prabhakaran said, "The entire Indian Football fraternity is extremely shocked by the passing away of Parimal Dey. My condolences to his family. May his soul rest in peace."