Former assistant coach of the Maldives national football team, Ihsan Abdul Ghanee, widely known as Saanthi, passed away on Saturday night while undergoing treatment for cancer at Tree Top Hospital. He was 51.
Diagnosed with cancer around two years ago, Saanthi initially sought treatment in Cochin, India, before returning to the Maldives.
Saanthi played an important role as the assistant coach when the national team won its first South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Championship title in 2008 under head coach Jozef Jankech.
Apart from coaching, Saanthi was actively involved in sports administration as Chairman of the Maldives Sports Corporation and a member of the National Sports Council. He also led the Maldives contingent as chef de mission at the 2015 Indian Ocean Island Games.
Saanthi coached Club Eagles for several seasons, during which he developed a number of talented young players and turned the team into a major force in Maldivian football.
With his passing, former and current footballers, officials, and fans have paid tribute, recognising his significant contributions to the development of the sport in the Maldives.