Male', Maldives: Ihusan Abdul Ghani (Saanthi), a prominent figure and famous football coach who invested so much in the development of Maldives football throughout his life, has sadly passed away.
Saanthi, 51, who had been battling cancer for nearly two years, was declared dead at Tree Top Hospital tonight.
Widely recognized for his contributions to sports throughout in the Maldives, Saanthi continued to serve football in every possible way during his treatment over the past years.
He worked closely with the current FAM technical team and was the technical director behind the Dhivehi Youth League initiative.
A former FAM Technical Director, Saanthi was an assistant coach when the Maldives won the SAFF Championship in 2008 and later served as the technical director when the team clinched the 2018 SAFF title.
He spent the majority of his coaching career at Club Eagles, where he developed a young team over five years that went on to win the President's Cup in 2016.
Saanthi also had coaching stints with the U19 National team, Club Eydhafushi, and United Victory.
His last coaching role was with Eagles in 2023, but he had to step down due to his medical condition.
Saanthi also served as the Chef De Mission at the 2015 Indian Ocean Island Games (IOIG), where the Maldives won its first gold medal in a multi-sport event. Additionally, he was the Chairman of the Maldives Sports Corporation.
