The Story Of Mohun Bagan, Kalimpong And Football

Imagine Manchester United in Indonesia or Liverpool in Thailand or the Real Madrid Galacticos in Japan.

Imagine the frenzied atmosphere, the cheering of the fans, the maddening feeling of watching those superstars you are used to watching only on TV in person. In real life.

Imagine the sensation that runs through you when your favourite player is just yards away.

Mohun Bagan's week-long camp in Kalimpong sparked pretty much the same scenes as the arrival of United or Madrid would anywhere in Asia.

There was a similar oh-my-God-I-cannot-believe-this expression on everyone's faces as well as the hero-worshipping atmosphere, as the most famous football club of India conducted their pre-season training camp in this town of the Darjeeling district.

Age No Bar To Enjoy Mohun Bagan

The best part was the match itself. It was a friendly one, between Mohun Bagan and Kalimpong XI, but there were over eight thousand spectators at the match. They came in all genders and in all ages and in various attires and spoke the universal language of football.

A club from West Bengal might not have won the national league in five years but the state still remains the hub of Indian football. But if anyone thought that football in West Bengal meant only football in Kolkata, then the National Club of India's visit to Kalimpong must surely dispel that myth.

The Weather Cannot Beat The Passion For Football

Never mind that Bagan won the match against the KSA XI 5-0 and were completely in control, for the Kalimpong players as well as the spectators - in fact, for the whole town - it was an honour just to have Mohun Bagan Athletic Club on their soil.

So much so that the 90-minute friendly match was divided into three halves of 30 minutes each to allow all the Kalimpong players to feature against the Kolkata giants and live a fairytale.

Of course, it is hard not to draw the parallels between a United visit to the Far East and this visit from Mohun Bagan to Kalimpong. On both occasions, a truly big club is trying to promote itself and make itself popular as well as give their 'far off' fans something more 'tangible'.

Boy Allowed.....And Girls Too

Perhaps the difference is that while the Madrids and the Liverpools seek to promote themselves in the Far East or in the States primarily because of monetary benefits, Mohun Bagan's visit to Kalimpong was more about giving joy to some thousands who perhaps have never watched them in action in person.

Perhaps this was more a token of appreciation shown by Bagan to their legions of fans who would probably never see them in action again.

Mohun Bagan's Kalimpong visit could have far-reaching consequences - all positive. In cricket-mad India football is diasporic and there are only a few truly 'footballing regions', such as West Bengal, Kerala and the North-East.

A pre-season visit from some of the major clubs to some of the lesser known footballing regions could prove to be helpful in the long run. It would be as much 'branding' as 'populating'.

Of course, it's easier said than done - there are several complications. But if Bagan's Kalimpong success is anything to go by, then it is worth a shot.

Subhankar Mondal