ISL
'Fans first' — Bengaluru FC stay true to their motto, upgrade pregnant fan to Owner's box
Defending Indian Super League (ISL) champions Bengaluru FC stayed true to their 'fans first' motto as they upgraded a pregnant fan from her usual West Block seat to the owner's box for Saturday's game against Kerala Blasters.
On Wednesday, Meghana Nair, a 33-weeks pregnant math teacher and an ardent BFC fan, took to Twitter to seek the club's permission to carry hot water from home to the Kanteerava Stadium on the day of the match. In an effort to keep stadiums clean, restrictions have been imposed on carrying conventional refreshments and a ban has also been implemented on single-use plastics at sporting venues. As a result, during the previous games, Meghana had faced much inconvenience with staying hydrated and finding access to drinking water.
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Replying to a poster on Bengaluru FC's twitter handle, she wrote: "Hello @bengalurufc! Is there any possibility that I could permission to carry some hot water from home in a reusable bottle?? I'm currently 33 weeks pregnant & I need to stay hydrated also take my medication. It was terribly inconvenient when I came to watch previous matches!!" Little did she know what would follow.
In response, Bengaluru FC tweeted back that they love how Meghana was coming to the matches and introducing the club to her yet-to-be-born baby. Furthermore, the Parth Jindal-owned club offered to accommodate her in the Owner's box for the Kerala Blasters match.
Mandar Tamhane, CEO, Bengaluru FC, told The Bridge how 'going the extra yard' for the fans has been the club's priority. He said:
Our fans have always been at the core of everything we do at Bengaluru FC. This involves us going that extra yard to hear them out and respond. It takes a lot to support an Indian football club. We understand this and are happy to go above and beyond to give back to the fans.
He also said that upgrading Meghana to the Owner's box was not a very difficult decision. "When our media team turned up with Meghana's tweet, it didn't take us any time to agree that the owners' box is where she should watch a sold-out game from. We've always been about lending that personal touch since Day One at the club and that won't change," Tamhane said.
It is indeed a heart-warming gesture on the part of the club, one that is being applauded and appreciated by fans all over the country. BFC have proved numerous times why they mean so much to their fans and now, they have managed to do it all over again!
