Stalwart hockey player from Bengal, Manjinder Singh Saini, elder brother of the more popular Indian international defender Baljit Singh Saini, today drowned at Mandarmani beach.

Manjinder, who represented Bengal in national championships from 1988 to 1990, drowned while he was out at the beach with two friends on Saturday afternoon.

He was 42-year-old, and is survived by his wife and a son.

Manjinder had gone to Mandarmani on a pleasure trip. While venturing deep into the sea, the hockey player and his two friends lost control and were crying out for help when locals at the beach rushed and dragged the trio out, only to find Manjinder collapsing to death.

His two friends survived. Manjinder’s body has been sent over to Contai for post-mortem.

National hockey selector Gurbux Singh condoled Manjinder’s death.

“It’s a huge loss for Bengal hockey. Manjinder was a brilliant guy. He was so different from the rest,” he said.

“The impression he had on people in the hockey circuit was something special. Bengal hockey will miss him badly,” he added.

Manjinder played a key role in the effort to revive Bengal hockey by organising inter-school championships and junior hockey tourneys despite perennial cash crunch.

This year, Manjinder Singh Saini had represented CC&FC Gremlins in the state’s first division circuit.