COVID-19: Mohun Bagan cancels goalpost-worship ceremony

The club holds the ceremony during the Bengali new year’s day every year.

Mohun Bagan is the current I-League champion.

I-League champion Mohun Bagan on Sunday cancelled its customary Bar Puja this year due to COVID-19 pandemic. An annual ritual worshipping of the goalposts on either end of the ground, the Bar Puja is held on Poila Boisakh , the Bengali new year’s day slated for Monday, to officially mark the start of a new football season.

“It’s very unfortunate that we need to call off the customary ritual that we follow on Bengali new year’s day every year,” Mohun Bagan general secretary Srinjoy Bose said in a statement.

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“But in present condition safety of our fans, colleagues is our topmost priority and keeping that in mind, we had to take this hard decision. We sincerely hope that tough time will be over and football will be back in Maidan (Kolkata) very soon.”

Mohun Bagan clinched the I-League title with four rounds left in the competition. The season was suspended due to the worsening COVID-19 pandemic.