Saachi Baat Special
Cricketers like Sir Vivian Richards (West Indies), Sir Ian Botham (England), and Ellyse Perry (Australia) have shone in both cricket and football. Sir Viv (Antigua and Barbuda) and Perry also played football, while Sir Ian played professional football for Scunthorpe United in England. In India, Dada Sourav Ganguly, also has a massive connect with Indian football.
Sourav Ganguly turns 52 today and it is worth recalling his love for football as well. As a Bengali, he closely follows all tournaments, especially those involving the three Kolkata giants: East Bengal, Mohun Bagan, and Mohammedan Sporting Club. To talk of Dada the captain in cricket would be stating the obvious.
Not many will know, football was always Sourav’s first love. That he chose cricket and excelled in it was due to academic pressure. Even though, Dad’s focus shifted from football to cricket, his passion for the sport never waned. In a 2020 interview he spoke of his romance for football as a child and said: “I played a lot of football as a striker.”
In November 2010, Mohammedan SC enlisted former Indian cricket captain Sourav Ganguly as the brand ambassador for the Mohammedan Sporting Platinum Jubilee Cup, celebrating the 75th anniversary of their victory in the 1934 Calcutta Football League (CFL). Ganguly donned the famous black and white jersey with the number 99. The tournament featured Mohun Bagan, East Bengal, and the world’s first-ever football club, Sheffield FC from the UK.
To recall, in a match against East Bengal, Sourav played for 57 minutes before being substituted and led the side. Within the first seven minutes, Ganguly found a loose ball, sprinted, and passed to Christopher near the penalty box, but the chance was not converted into a goal.
In 2013, Sourav Ganguly was associated with the Indian Super League (ISL). ATK emerged as a team from Kolkata with Sourav Ganguly as a co-owner. Until 2021, he was with the club. However, when ATK merged with Mohun Bagan (currently known as Mohun Bagan Super Giant), Ganguly decided to resign as the director of ATK Mohun Bagan. Why? At that time, Sourav was BCCI President and being in football would have been seen as conflict of interest.
Today, Dada is famous in all ways and is with IPL team Delhi Capitals as head of operations. Happy birthday Dada Sourav.
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