Introduction

A story by Jasmine Kaur

Famous sports commentator and writer Novy Kapadia died on Thursday, November 18, at the age of 68 after a long illness. Widely acclaimed as the “voice of Indian football,” Kapadia suffers from motor neuron disease and was reportedly confined for the past two years during a pandemic. Kapadia, author of the sports bestseller “Barefoot to Boots: The Many Lives of Indian Football,” was reportedly life-supporting for the past month.

We are saddened by the demise of Novy Kapadia, an eminent journalist, commentator, and football pundit. May his contribution shines through everyone he has touched through his coverage of #IndianFootball #RIP,” said All India Football Federation (AIFF) on Twitter.

Novy Kapadia was known among Indian football enthusiasts as an important voice of football authority. As a journalist, Kapadia covered several FIFA World Cup tournaments, and his encyclopedic insights into the game were considered exemplary.

 He was also a professor of English literature at Sri Guru Teg Bahadur Khalsa College, University of Delhi.

Tributes pour in for Novy Kapadia

Senior Sports Writer and Commentator Boria Majumdar posted a video on Twitter condoling Kapadia’s death and how he made a difference to Indian sports, especially Football.

“You will be remembered forever in the annals of Indian Sports,” Majumdar said.

 Producer-filmmaker Boney Kapoor also took to the microblogging site to pour his tributes to Novy Kapadia.

 “RIP Novy Kapadia – commentator, journalist, author, and more importantly he was the voice of Indian Football. His contribution to #Maidaan was immense. We shall miss you,” Kapoor wrote on Twitter, referring to Ajay Devgn-starrer sports drama that had contributions from Kapadia as well.

 Sports commentator Aakash Chopra also took to Twitter and expressed his prayers for Kapadia’s departed soul.

 The well-known sports commentator was surviving with the help of former students and a professional attendant. He is not known to have survived by any of his immediate family members.

Support provided to him

The Union Youth Affairs and Sports Ministryapproved Novy Rs 4 lakh for its medical expenses in March 2020. The decision was made after it was found that he had not yet received a pension from the University of Delhi, where he was working as a professor for the past 40 years.

He also received financial support from the Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay National Welfare Fund for Sportspersons.

Novy Kapadia: The voice of Indian Football

Novy Kapadia was considered the voice of Indian football because it covered a wide range of Indian football for over 30 years. He started out as a radio commentator and switched to television in the late 20th century when football first appeared on television in India.

 Kapadia was the chief commentator for the I League (formerly National Football League), Federation Cup, Durand Cup, Rovers Cup, and Indian football team games. The veteran also had a major interest in Delhi football and has written several accolades for the game in the national capital as well.

Novy Kapadia’s book on Indian Football – Barefoot to Boots: The Many Lives of Indian Football

Kapadia will always be remembered for some of the most iconic commentary pieces in Indian football, especially the Kolkata Derby. He is also known for arguably the finest book on Indian football, “Barefoot to Boots: The Many Lives of Indian Football,” leaving the impression that he has been associated with Indian football since time immemorial.

His ability to bring out the greatest moments of the game in India in a dramatic fashion through his words will always be exceptional. Kapadia has been termed the “Wikipedia of Indian football” for his unparalleled knowledge of Indian football across all leagues and competitions even before he was born.

Kapadia was also a former associate professor at SGBT Khalsa College at the University of Delhi and a former Proctor of the University as well. He was denied his university pension in the past few years which was later sorted out by the concerned authorities.