Mohun Bagan's Historic triumph in I-League
Novy Kapadia
By sheer coincidence there was a nail biting finish to
the 8th Hero I-league. The match on 31 May between Bengaluru FC and
Mohun Bagan was a dramatic and grand finale to the football season in
India. This round 22 match at the Kanteerava stadium, Bangalore was not only
the last but also the deciding match of the 8th Hero I-league.
Bengaluru FC needed a win to annex the 8th I-League title
for the second year in row. Mohun Bagan which enjoyed a two points advantage
needed just a draw in their away match.
Coached by former Manchester United junior player, Ashley
Westwood, Bengaluru FC struck first, just before half time by a John Johnson
header off a corner kick. As time ticked away, Bagan were desperate in attack
but missed sitters. Finally experienced Nigerian defender Bello Rassaq headed
in the equaliser off a sony Norde corne rkick three minutes before the final
whistle. Mohun Bagan thus become champions and got the cash prize of Rs. 70
lakhs. It was their first I-Leegue win but they had won this championship,
which was earlier called the National Football League, thrice in the past.
Bagan had won the NFL in 1998, 2000 and 2002.
Mohun Bagan, which just won the 8th Hero
I-league, after a gap of 13 years, is not just a football club but an
institution. During their centenary celebrations in 1989, the Indian Government
issued a stamp in their honour. A statue of their immortal defender Gostha Paul
was installed in 1984 and in honour of this iconic player, the road was renamed
after him. After Independence, India’s first foreign tour was the 1948 London
Olympics. The captain was from Mohun Bagan, Talimeran Aao. This trend
continued. The captains of the Indian football team in the next two Olympics,
Sailen Manna (1952 Helsinki Olympics) and Samar ‘Badru” Banerjee (1956
Melbourne Olympics) were both from Mohun Bagan.
Mohun Bagan had not won a major trophy for the last five
years and not won a national league title (called I-league since 2008) since
2002. Their best showing since then had been runners up in the 2nd
I-League 2008-09. Constant changing of coaches and financial crises (chit fund
scams in Bengal) had become a source of worry for their fans. Yes such is the
love this club inspires that their fan base never declined.
Earlier this week, the fans got something to cheer about,
when the victorious Mohun Bagan team returned from Bengaluru to Kolkata
clutching the Hero I-League trophy. Over 2 lakh (200,000) people greeted their
heroes and joined in the spontaneous celebrations all over the City of Joy. The
Bagan players are being treated as demi gods, just as they were in the heyday
of Kolkata football in the 1950s till 1980s. Bagan’s supporters cross the class
divide as they are a mix of IT professionals, media personnel, private and
public sector employees and even those of humble origin, like tea stall owners.
Coach Sanjoy Sen in his first season with a big club has
guided Mohun Bagan to a historic victory in the 8th Hero I-league.
Like in the past, Bagan victory’s has re-kindled interest for the game in the
City of Joy. East Bengal was the last Kolkata club to have won the
I-league way back in 2004. Queries were being raised about declining standards,
poor recruitment of players and inept club management.
Doubts had crept in if Kolkata will ever regain their
glory of the past but Mohun Bagan’s I-league triumph has hopefully heralded the
dawn of a new era. Their star players the Haitian international Sony Norde,
Japanese midfield dynamo Yusa Katsumi and young Indian players, 21-year old
right back Pritam Kotal from Uttarpara, 24 year old left back Dhanachandra
Singh and midfielder 20 year old Shehnaz Singh can become names to conjure with
in the future.
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