MB to not celebrate ‘Mohun Bagan Day’ due to COVID-19

Kolkata, July 13 (IANS) City football giants Mohun Bagan will not celebrate the ‘Mohun Bagan Day’ by organising a “physical program” on July 29 this time due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The club, which is now ATK-Mohun Bagan after its merger with the Indian Super League (ISL) champions, has decided to honour hockey legend Gurbux Singh and Bengal first class cricketer Palash Nandy with the Mohun Bagan Ratna.

Ashok Kumar (Hockey), Pranab Ganguly (Football) and Monoranjan Porel (Athletics) will be bestowed with the lifetime achievement award while Spanish footballer Joseba Beitia, who played a key role in the green and maroon brigade winning the I-League last season, will get the best football player (senior) prize.

Sajal Bag ( U18 team) will be given the best youth player.

“The awards would be presented personally to those persons who are available in Kolkata. The awardees who will be unable to receive the honour due to their unavailability in the city would be presented at a later stage when things would be normal,” Mohun Bagan said in a statement.

“…amidst the current circumstances due to COVID-19 this year the Club Executive Committee has decided not to celebrate the Mohun Bagan Day by organising a physical program,” the statement added.

ISL champions ATK and Mohun Bagan had announced in January that they would merge into one entity that would compete in the ISL from 2020-21 season slated to start in the third week of November.

ATK Mohun Bagan Pvt. Ltd. announced, in a press release last Friday, that their board had unanimously decided to retain the iconic green and maroon jersey which has been synonymous with the 131 years legacy of Mohun Bagan. The name of the club will be changed to ATK Mohun Bagan while the logo will have the Mohun Bagan boat with addition of ‘ATK’ to it.

–IANS

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