East Bengal and Mohun Bagan join hands to aid injured fan

The ‘beautiful game’ was a title given to Football by Brazilian Legend Pele, not only is it true but it is also the most popular game on earth and a game which brings about communal harmony and peace. A small but notable incident happened in Kolkata, India’s football capital which proved that Football has the power to unite people, even if you are donning the rival jersey. East Bengal and Mohun Bagan fans joined hands to raise funds for the treatment of a 19-year old passionate fan who was injured while returning from the stadium. East Bengal and Mohun Bagan share a fierce rivalry in Kolkata football which dates back to 1921. A ‘Kolkata Derby’ is one of the several spectacles in Indian sports;

the 2018 IFA Shield final at the Barasaat Stadium was one such occasion even though the tournament only featured their junior players. After a hard fought battle, East Bengal, the more fancied team won their 29^th title via a shootout. But the match did not end inside the field; the enthusiasm among the supporters carried forward en-route to their journey back home and even after that. After a heated exchange of words at the Barasat railway station, 19-year old East Bengal fan Anirban Kanshabanik injured his forehead allegedly by a Mohun Bagan loyalist. As per reports, a stone was thrown towards his direction.

 "The injury was serious and he was admitted to a private nursing home. The doctors said he needed a surgery which would cost Rs 2.5 lakhs,” said Rabi Shankar Sen, another East Bengal fan. Supporting the family with a small-time trade, Anirban’s father just not had enough to meet the medical expenditures. Sen quickly took resort to Facebook to inform as many people as possible and the response was immediate.  Members of the East Bengal Real Power Fan Club collected a total of Rs. 50,000 within 12 hours and plenty more within the next half day. The striking fact was that the fund flow accumulated was contributed not only from East Bengal fans but Mohun Bagan supporters too! “The response has been tremendous. Within 12 hours, we collected Rs 50,000, and in less than a day, we got Rs 1.5 lakh,” informed Rabi Shankar Sen. In the presence of East Bengal officials Debabrata Sarkar and Debraj Chakraborty, the amount of Rs. 1.5 lakh was given to Dwijen by Rabi Shanker Sen and his friends. As per reports, the surgery was successful and collection appeal was closed, while the East Bengal club has officially announced the club will bear all the financial expenses of Anirban’s treatment.