KATHMANDU: Director of Sports Science Academy of Nepal under the National Sports Council and senior volleyball coach Sudesh Rimal passed away on Friday at the age of 56.

Rimal was suffering from neuro-related disease and was about to undergo surgery at the Upendra Devkota Memorial National Institute of Neurological And Allied Sciences.

Rimal, who played for national team in just one tournament, the Seoul Asian Games in 1986, was regarded as one of the best among the contemporary coaches.

Rimal began his coaching career from Nepal Army’s battalion team and went on to look after all three departmental teams along with both men and women national teams, and national beach volleyball team.

Rimal was assistant coach to Shanti Gurung when Nepal bagged bronze medal in the 10th South Asian Games in Colombo in 2006 and he coached national women’s team to silver medal in the Invitational Volleyball Championship in 2014.

Rimal was the coach of the women’s team that bagged bronze medal in the 12th SA Games in India in 2015.

Rimal also coached the national women’s beach volleyball team to bronze medal in the 13th SAG on home soil last year. The NSC is organising a programme on Saturday to pay tribute to Rimal.