After being bestowed with the Dronacharya award, Jayanta Pushilal mentioned the crucial role of former secretary of Bengal Table Tennis Association (BTTA) Gopinath Ghosh which helped him to settle as the country’s one of the renowned coaches. 

On Wednesday, Gopinath Ghosh, now 87 recalled how he persuaded the then Union sports minister Margaret Alva to grant permission for Jayanta Pushilal to acquire the coaching degree from the National Institute of Sports (NIS), Patiala. 

Pushilal passed away on Tuesday night at the age of 63. He was suffering from severe kidney disease, undergoing dialysis.

Ghosh said on Wednesday morning, “I visited Jayant’s coaching center several times at Narkeldanga Institute in North Kolkata, watching his dedication towards the young paddlers. However, he did not have the needed qualifications that could propel him to apply for the NIS coaching course at Patiala. During the World Table Tennis Championship in Delhi in 1987 I met Margaret Alva and made repeated requests to her to arrange a special permission for Jayanta Pushilal so that he could acquire the coaching degree from NIS. It clicked finally and he became the NIS coach. It was extremely painful to hear the news that Jayanta is no more.”

Ghosh also felt that Jayanta whose guidance has gifted Bengal and India 15 international paddlers deserved to be the chief national coach. “He deserved to be the chief national coach. Talking about his coaching style he was ahead of time.”

Mouma Das, the Padma Shri and one of the most prominent students of Pushilal sounded speechless initially while sharing her thoughts. Speaking over the phone from Jayanta’s house, she said, “He was like my father. I remember how he created player Mouma Das through a lot of hard work, care, adoration, and inspiration. He did not utter a single word about strategy before any crucial match. Rather he used to tell me stories of lionhearted characters who defied all odds and won their respective battles. His psychological treatment and man-management skill were immaculate."