Former Davis Cup coach Akhtar Ali, who was associated with Indian tennis for a long time, died on Sunday. He was ill for some time. Akhtar, the father of the current coach of the Indian Davis team, Zeeshan Ali, breathed his last in Kolkata. He was 83 years old. Known for his special coaching style of serve and volley game, Akhtar played a key role in the preparation of a number of players including legends Leander Paes and Zeeshan.

According to family sources, he was taken to a hospital in the city two weeks ago where doctors detected his chest lump and prostate cancer. He was already suffering from Parkinson's disease. Zeeshan, who is running a junior national camp in Delhi, returned on Monday only after spending some time with his father. He has returned after hearing the news of his death.

It is learned that Vijay Amritraj tweeted, "Akhtar Ali was a fantastic coach. He served Indian tennis a lot. My condolences to Zeeshan and his family." Akhtar Ali participated in eight Davis Cup matches from 1958 to 1964. He was also the captain and coach of the Indian team.

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