Sports

IIE DIGITAL DESK ; Kolkata | July 30 : East Bengal Club will celebrate its 107th Foundation Day on August 1 with a series of special events and grand ceremonies, continuing its long-standing tradition of commemorating one of the most historic milestones in Indian football. Like every year, the club has planned a day-long schedule of celebrations that will pay tribute to its rich legacy while honouring distinguished personalities from the fields of sports, arts, journalism, and public life.

The Foundation Day celebrations will begin at 11:30 a.m. at the East Bengal Club tent with floral tributes and the lighting of ceremonial lamps before the portraits of the club's founding figures—Suresh Chandra Chowdhury, Shailesh Bose, and Nasa Sen. The club flag will then be hoisted, marking the official commencement of the 107th anniversary celebrations.

The highlight of the day will be a grand evening function at Nazrul Mancha, scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. During the event, East Bengal Club will felicitate several eminent personalities for their exceptional contributions to sports, society, culture, and various other fields. West Bengal Sports Minister Dr. Indranil Khan will attend the ceremony as the chief guest.

This year, the prestigious 'Bharat Gaurav' honour will be conferred upon renowned economist, historian, and author Sanjeev Sanyal in recognition of his outstanding contribution to public policy, history, and intellectual discourse. Celebrated Bollywood composer and music director Pritam Chakraborty will also receive the same prestigious honour for his remarkable contribution to Indian music and cinema.

The club's annual awards, former East Bengal captain Balai Mukherjee, who led the team in 1985, will receive the Nasa Sen Lifetime Award for his enduring contribution to the club and Indian football. Another former captain, Tarun Dey, who captained the side in 1986, will be honoured with the Byomkesh Bose Lifetime Award.

The club will also recognize excellence in sports journalism. Senior sports journalist Bikrant Gupta will receive the Ajay Bose Memorial Journalist Award, while noted photojournalist Shankar Nag Das will be honoured with the Pushpen Sarkar Memorial Photojournalist Award.

Among football referees, Bholanath Dutta will receive the Pankaj Gupta Memorial Award, while Piyush Roy will be presented with the Pratul Chakraborty Memorial Award in recognition of his services to officiating in the sport.

East Bengal's highest footballing honour, the Banwarilal Footballer of the Year Award, will be jointly presented to defenders Anwar Ali and Sathi Debnath for their outstanding performances during the season. The Jiban Chakraborty Emerging Footballer of the Year Award will go to promising youngster Edmund Lalrindika, acknowledging his impressive rise and contribution to the club.

In cricket, Ritam Porel has been selected as the recipient of the Gopal Bose Cricketer of the Year Award for his achievements and consistent performances.

The club will also honour four of its most dedicated supporters. Monomoy Bhattacharya, Riju Das, Kalpana Chakraborty, and Shyamal Majumdar will jointly receive the Swapan Ball Supporter of the Year Award, recognizing their unwavering commitment and lifelong association with East Bengal.

Former football coach Bino George will be presented with the Pradip Kumar Banerjee Memorial Award for his contribution to the development of the game.

The Pride of Bengal Award will be conferred upon Sulanjana Raul in recognition of her achievements and contribution to society.

Veteran Bengali film actor Prosenjit Chatterjee will receive the Super Achiever Award, while acclaimed filmmaker Kaushik Ganguly will be honoured with the Excellence in Movie Award for his outstanding contribution to Indian cinema.

With a blend of tradition, sporting excellence, and recognition of distinguished achievements across diverse fields, East Bengal Club's 107th Foundation Day celebrations are expected to bring together players, officials, supporters, and eminent personalities in a grand tribute to one of India's most iconic football institutions. The annual celebration once again reflects the club's commitment to preserving its glorious heritage while honouring individuals who have made exceptional contributions to sports, culture, and society.