Amid the outpouring of grief and anger over the rape and murder of an trainee doctor at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, football lovers in Kolkata will be hoping to find some joy as the semifinals and final of the ongoing 133rd Durand Cup return to the city.
The two semifinals will be played on August 25 and 27, with the final scheduled on August 31. Kolkata Police has assured the organisers of all security arrangements.
This decision follows the cancellation of the highly-anticipated first Kolkata derby of the season, originally scheduled for August 18.
The Mohun Bagan SG-East Bengal match was called off due to security concerns amid statewide protests over the gruesome crime.
Subsequently, the quarterfinal matches featuring East Bengal FC and Mohun Bagan SG were also moved out of Kolkata. East Bengal faced Shillong Lajong FC in Shillong on Wednesday (and lost 1-2), while Mohun Bagan SG are set to play Punjab FC in Jamshedpur on Friday.
The cancellation of the derby and the relocation of the Kolkata giants' quarterfinals deeply disappointed the city’s passionate football fans.
“Kolkata derby should not have been cancelled in such a manner. Organisers should have realised what the derby means for the people of Kolkata,” former India footballer Syed Rahim Nabi told THE WEEK.
“If I am not wrong, this is the first time the derby was cancelled a day before the match. Last time it was cancelled midway, when I was hit on the head with a stone [in December 2012].”
In an unprecedented move on Tuesday, senior officials from East Bengal FC, Mohun Bagan SG and Mohammedan Sporting held a joint press conference, urging that the remaining knockout matches be played in Kolkata.
The decision by the Durand Cup Organising Committee (DCOC) to move the semifinals and final back to Kolkata has lifted spirits across the city. Though East Bengal FC have been eliminated and Mohammedan Sporting failed to qualify for the knockouts, fans are hopeful of seeing Mohun Bagan SG in action in Kolkata.
