The three city giants – Mohun Bagan Super Giant, East Bengal FC and Mohammedan Sporting SC – made an unified statement on Tuesday urging the organizers of the 133 rd edition of Durand Cup not to shift the previously scheduled semifinals and the final match out of Kolkata.
The appeal came from the three secretaries of the more-than-a-century-old clubs, who addressed a joint news conference to place their demands.
This came after the season’s first Kolkata Football Derby – which was scheduled as the final Group A league match featuring the two traditional rivals Mohun Bagan and East Bengal – was abandoned because of security reasons following the growing protests in the city against the rape and murder of a doctor in the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.
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The organizers shifted the quarterfinals featuring East Bengal and Mohun Bagan SG out of the city while giving indication that the remaining part of the tournament (Semifinals and the final) will be shifted out and played in venues like Jamshedpur and Shillong.
“It is a historic day today for Kolkata Maidan, that the Big Three clubs have come together for the first time and are making an appeal against shifting the matches that were originally scheduled to be held in the city,” said the East Bengal club secretary Rupak Saha.
“The Derby is past now. We are now requesting the administration that the Durand Cup semifinals and final should be held in Kolkata,” Saha read out the statement that also had the signature of the Mohun Bagan club secretary Debasish Dutta and Mohammedan Sporting club secretary Ishtiaq Ahmed.
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Thousands of fans of the three clubs had assembled on the day of the abandoned Derby and protested outside the Salt Lake Stadium (on August 18) demanding justice for the victim. Police resorted to ‘lathicharge’ as the protests swelled and appeared to turn violent.
“We will request our all fans to fully cooperate with the administration so that the match is conducted peacefully. As responsible football clubs of India, we also request CBI and all other investigative agencies that our sister (RG Kar victim) gets justice soon and culprits get severe punishment. We also extend our sympathies to the family of the RG Kar Medical College victim,” said Debabrata Sarkar, a key East Bengal official.
“We are together in this fight without any political influence,” said Debasish Dutta.
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