Zakaria Pintoo, the captain of Shadhin Bangla football team, has passed away at the age of 81.
The news of his death has been confirmed by the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF).
Pintoo's teammate, Pratap Shankar Hazra, shared with the media, "Pintoo Bhai was hospitalized after becoming critically ill. He had been facing complications with his heart, kidneys, and liver. He passed away shortly after 12 PM. Pintoo had been struggling with health issues for some time."
"His condition worsened yesterday, and he was admitted to the CCU. Unfortunately, he had to leave this world," Hazra added.
Born on January 1, 1943, in Naogaon, Pintoo began his football career in the late 1950s, going on to become a legendary figure in Bangladesh’s sports history.
Zakaria Pintoo played for Mohammedan SC from 1961 to 1975 and also served as the club's coach. He was a key figure for the national team as well.
During the 1971 Liberation War, under his leadership, Bangladesh played exhibition matches across several cities in India.
The proceeds from these matches were donated to the Liberation War Fund.
Bd-Pratidin English/ARK
