Kolkata, Jan 3 (IANS) Sahitya Akademi Award winning litterateur and eminent sports journalist Moti Nandi died at a city hospital Sunday after a prolonged illness, family sources said.
Nandi, 79, was a diabetic and had hypertension, besides kidney problems. The end came early Sunday following multi-organ failure. He has left behind his wife and three daughters.

Nandi, who got the coveted Sahitya Akedemi Award for his Bengali novel ‘Sada Kham’ in 1991, was a popular writer among both grown-ups and children.

Besides his contribution as a sports editor of leading Bengali daily Ananda Bazar Patrika between 1971 and 1992, Nandi would be remembered for his sports fictions which reflected his experiences about the trials and tribulations of sportspersons.

The novel ‘Koni’ that depicted the struggles and ultimate success of a young woman swimmer against poverty and sports politics was later made into a successful Bengali film with Soumitra Chatterjee playing the role of a swimming coach. Two other novels ‘Striker’ and ‘Stopper’ pictured the ups and downs of soccer players’ lives, with the former making its way to celluloid.

Among his other sports fictions are ‘Nanida Not out’ and ‘Dal Badolre Age’, and the popular ‘Kalabati’ series of novels.

Nandi’s other novels include ‘Ubhoyoto Sampurno’, ‘Golap Bagan’, ‘Chaya’ and ‘Chaya Soronite Rohini’.

As a sports journalist, he covered the 1980 Moscow Olympics and the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, besides reporting regularly on Tests and One-day cricket matches.

He gave importance to coverage of sports like babaddi, kho-kho and volleyball which was popular in the districts.

Nandi was Calcutta Sports Journalists’ Club president from 1982-1985.

His last rites were conducted at the Nimtala burning ghat in the northern part of the city Sunday evening.