Former AIFF Vice-President C R Visswanathan dies
Former All India Football Federation Vice-President and veteran administrator C R Visswanathan on Tuesday died after suffering a heart attack. He was 85.
He is survived by his wife, son and daughter. Popularly known as CRV, Visswanathan died at a hospital here at around 3am due to a heart attack, Tamil Nadu Football Association sources said.
Apart from holding the post of AIFF vice-president (2004-08), Visswanathan was a long-time office-bearer of the Tamil Nadu Football Association (TFA) and held the post of president and secretary.
He was also a member of the AIFF Executive Committee from 2008 to 2012 and the Chairman of the AIFF Technical Committee from 2009 to 2012. He had also been manager of the Indian national teams on some occasions.
Visswanathan also played a key role in the construction of the Nehru Stadium here and contributed significantly to the hosting of the Nehru Gold Cup International tournament in 1993 and the South Asian Federation Games in 1995.
The AIFF condoled the death of Visswanathan with its president Praful Patel recalling his contributions to Indian football.
"The AIFF fraternity is shocked to hear about the sad demise of C R Visswanathan. He will be remembered for his contribution to Indian Football, and sports. My thoughts lie with his family. We pray for his soul to rest in peace," Patel said.
AIFF General Secretary Kushal Das, in his message, said, "On behalf of the Indian Football fraternity we offer our heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family.
"Viswanathan was a versatile administrator who served not just Indian football in different capacities, but also worked towards the overall development of Indian sports. We pray for his soul to rest in peace."
The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) President Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa sent his condolences to the Indian football family and the All India Football Federation (AIFF) on the passing of Visswanathan.
A football player himself at school and college level, Visswanathan was a textile engineer hailing from Coimbatore and a businessman.
"He (CRV) was fully interested in football and its development. He was very much concerned about the welfare of players," former TFA secretary B Ravikumar David.
