Naihati, the birthplace of great personalities like Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, has a rich legacy of producing talent. One of its sons, Sritanu Das, is now making his own mark in the world of football. Currently working for a private organisation in Delhi, Sritanu also coaches young footballers there. Despite living away from Bengal, his commitment to Bengali football remains as strong as ever. While he has nurtured talent on Bengal soil, he continues to develop promising young footballers in Delhi as well.

Recently, Sritanu was honoured with the “Grassroot Coach of the Year” award at the I AM GAME Sports Award 2026 in Delhi. His journey, however, is rooted in a dream that he once had himself—the dream of becoming a professional footballer.

Sritanu played for Mohammedan Sporting Club with hopes of making it big as a player. Unfortunately, a serious injury brought his playing career to an early end. But it could not end his love for football. Carrying his unfulfilled dream with him, Sritanu turned towards coaching and began working with young footballers.

Today, several grassroots talents have emerged under his guidance. Abhishek Kumar Mondal, who started training barefoot, eventually earned the opportunity to represent India at the Under-17 level. His list of promising players also includes Manu Rajbanshi, Suraj and Bhola Rajwar, among others.

Even during the difficult days of the COVID-19 pandemic, Sritanu continued working with young players such as Nitesh Kumar Mondal, Rajesh Rajbhar, Bhaskar Singh and Gourav Chunar. Many of them have now gone on to play in the Kolkata League.

Yet, behind this inspiring success story lies an important question: Why does a talented coach like Sritanu Das have to work outside Bengal?

Is the lack of suitable employment opportunities the reason why a coach with such a proven grassroots record has had to leave his home state? Could Bengal not create respectable employment opportunities and meaningful responsibilities for coaches like him?

If Sritanu could be retained in Bengal, perhaps many more young footballers could benefit from his experience and guidance.

And Sritanu is certainly not alone. Due to a lack of opportunities, many coaches, footballers and football professionals from Bengal are being forced to look towards other states for work and recognition.

Therefore, the issue is not just about one coach. It is about the future of football in Bengal.

The real question is: Can Bengal create an ecosystem where its own football talent can stay, work and thrive—or will we continue to lose one Sritanu Das after another?