Bagan pat for East Bengal

Sharing the joy of arch rivals East Bengal, who lifted the Asean Cup yesterday, Mohun Bagan general secretary Anjan Mitra on Sunday said he is happy that an Indian team had lifted the cup, but added that he would have been happier had all members of the team been Indians.

"I am happy that an Indian team has lifted the cup. East Bengal has utilised the chance which came before them," Mitra said when asked to comment on the success of East Bengal.

"However, I would have been happier if all the 11 members of the East Bengal team had been Indians," he said in a reference to the presence of Brazilian medio Douglas, Suley Musah of Ghana and Nigerian Mike Okoro in the team.

Former hockey Olympian Gurbux Singh said he see East Bengal's victory in Jakarta as a booster for Indian sports.

"It is a great victory not only for Indian football, but the country's sports in general," he said.

Singh, however, said instead of resting on the laurel, the country's soccer administrators should take the initiative to ensure that the success is replicated by the national football team.

Meanwhile, Kolkata mayor Subrata Mukherjee announced a civic reception for the team even as fans carried their celebrations to the second day on Sunday.

"We have decided to give them a civic reception. We will fix the date and venue once the team returns," the mayor, a die-hard fan of arch rivals Mohun Bagan, told newsmen during a visit to the East Bengal club to congratulate its officials and members on their team's success.

According to an East Bengal official, the team is scheduled to return from Jakarta on July 29.

Meanwhile, celebrations continued to engulf the East Bengal tent where the club flag was raised by an official, Manas Mukherjee, in presence of a number of former stars.

Sweets were distributed among the members and supporters, several hundreds of whom assembled at the club tent in the Maidan area smearing one another with 'gulal' and shouting praises of the team.

Youth draped in the club's colours danced to drumbeats as others, in cars and pick-up trucks, adorned with the East Bengal flag, drove down the metropolis sharing the spirit of celebration.