Bengaluru, September 5: Kolkata giant Mohammedan Sporting football club’s long-serving president Sultan Ahmed passed away after a heart attack on Monday (September 4) morning at the age of 64.

Ahmed complained of feeling unwell and was being taken to a city nursing home near his residence where he was declared brought dead.

Ahmed, who was also a Member of Parliament from Uluberia in West Bengal, was the driving force behind the 126-year-old club.

“He was the main man in getting people to contribute to help us in building competitive football team. This is a huge loss,” said Dipendu Biswas, the club’s vice-president and still an active player.

Biswas, who himself is a Trinamool Congress MLA, said he had finished training on Monday (September 4) morning and was headed to Barasat in the North 24 Parganas district, when he heard the news. He was returning to the city nursing home where Ahmed was taken when the media spoke to him.

Mohammedan Sporting are scheduled to play Calcutta Customs in the Kolkata league on Tuesday. Biswas said late on Monday evening that the match would be held as scheduled with two minutes’ silence observed as a mark of respect ahead of kick-off.

It is a major setback for the Kolkata club who have overcome so many obstacles in the last few years mostly thanks to the TMC leader.

As a politician, Ahmed was also one of the accused in the Narada scam. “Shocked and deeply saddened at the passing of Sultan Ahmed, sitting @aitcofficial LS MP & my long term colleague. Condolences to his family,” tweeted chief minister Mamata Banerjee.

The 64-year-old is survived by his wife and two sons. He was elected to the West Bengal Assembly twice.

West Bengal Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi also expressed grief at the passing away of Ahmed.