Indian football club Mohan Bagan has slammed the Kolkata Knight Riders management for not allowing the Mariners’ fans to wear club jerseys at the Eden Gardens. The incident occurred during match 68 of the IPL 2023, played between the Kolkata Knight Riders and Lucknow Super Giants, who were sporting special Mohan Bagan-inspired jerseys for the fixture.
The match was a thriller as LSG posted 176 on the back of an explosive 58 by Nicholas Pooran which was nearly chased by the home side. Rinku Singh once again emerged a star as he smashed 67 in 33 balls but failed to get his team over the line by one run. However, ahead of the game, several Bagan supporters tried entering the arena with the football club’s jersey but were allegedly stopped by KKR authorities rather than the police.
According to one fan Kaustav Debnath, quoted by the Indian Express, the supporters weren’t allowed to come in from gates 9 and 13 of the Eden Gardens and were told that the Mohun Bagan logo was prohibited inside the stadium along with Mohun Bagan flags. These fans were later permitted entry after some of them changed their jersey while others wore them inside out.
Reacting to these incidents, Club Secretary Debashis Dutta released a statement criticising the KKR management for their actions. The statement released on Mohan Bagan's social media stated, “It was a special match between KKR and LSG of IPL on 20th May 2023 at Eden Gardens for the supporters of Mohun Bagan because LSG was wearing a new Green and Maroon Jersey. But, the KKR management curtailed the freedom of the Mohun Bagan supporters (who are also fans of KKR and LSG) by not allowing them to enter the stadium as they were wearing the jersey of Mohun Bagan.”
“Since 1990, I have been watching FIFA World Cup matches by travelling to different parts of the world by wearing our National Club i.e. Mohun Bagan's Jersey and I have never been stopped at anywhere. It is an individual's right to support and wear the jersey of the team which he/she loves and supports. No one has the right to interfere in one's own choice. Thus, Mobun Bagan Athletic Club strongly condemns this decision of KKR management for disrespecting the National Club of India and hurting the sentiment of our supporters.”
