East Bengal Club Celebrates its 107th Foundation Day with Grandeur, Pride and Tradition

Kolkata, 1 August 2026: East Bengal Club marked its 107th Foundation Day with great dignity, enthusiasm, and the unwavering spirit of the Red-and-Gold family. Following the club’s cherished tradition, the day-long celebrations brought together club officials, former players, distinguished guests, award recipients, and thousands of passionate supporters to honour the glorious legacy of one of India’s most iconic football institutions.

A Reverent Beginning

The celebrations commenced in the morning at the club tent with the ceremonial hoisting of the Red-and-Gold flag. This was followed by floral tributes and the lighting of ceremonial lamps before the portrait of the club’s founder, Suresh Chandra Chowdhury.

Club officials, former captain Bhaskar Ganguly, Bikash Panji, and several distinguished members joined supporters in paying homage to the club’s rich heritage and the vision of its founders.

An Evening of Culture and Celebration

The second phase of the celebrations was held at Nazrul Mancha, beginning with a soulful musical performance by renowned singer Rupankar Bagchi. Club President Murari Lal Lohia formally inaugurated the evening with his welcome address.

The ceremonial lamp-lighting was performed by State Ministers Dilip Ghosh and Kaushik Chowdhury, along with Samaresh Chowdhury, Monoranjan Bhattacharya, Bhaskar Ganguly, Prashanta Bandyopadhyay, Alok Mukhopadhyay, Mihir Basu, and several former footballers. The occasion was further graced by former cricketers Sambaran Banerjee, Jhulan Goswami, and Snehasish Ganguly.

Inspiring Messages from Distinguished Guests

Addressing the gathering, Minister Dilip Ghosh highlighted the importance of nurturing local football talent and urged East Bengal Club to continue playing a leading role in developing Bengali footballers while wishing the club greater success in the future.

Minister Kaushik Chowdhury shared his lifelong emotional connection with the Red-and-Gold colours, recalling his youthful days of carrying the East Bengal flag across his hometown of Raiganj and expressing hope for more sporting success in the years ahead.

The club felicitated Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar, State Industries Minister Tapas Roy, and eminent scientist Dr. Jishnu Basu for their remarkable contributions.

Dr. Jishnu Basu delivered one of the evening’s most heartfelt speeches, describing East Bengal as a symbol of courage, resilience, and standing beside people during difficult times.

Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar reflected on how watching legendary footballer Krishanu Dey introduced him to East Bengal and described the club as far more than a football institution—calling it a symbol of struggle, hope, and identity for millions of people from East Bengal.

State Industries Minister Tapas Roy paid tribute to the generations of administrators, players, and supporters who have built the club over the last 107 years while thanking the present management for carrying forward that proud legacy.

Celebrating Excellence Across Fields

One of the highlights of the evening was the presentation of prestigious honours to distinguished personalities from sports, cinema, journalism, academia, and public life.

The Excellence in Movie Award was presented to acclaimed filmmaker and actor Kaushik Ganguly, who expressed his gratitude and described receiving the honour from former East Bengal football legends as one of the proudest moments of his career.

Veteran actor Prosenjit Chatterjee received the Super Achiever Award from East Bengal head coach Antonio López Habas. In his address, he fondly recalled wearing the Red-and-Gold jersey during the filming of Ashroy and thanked the club for the memorable recognition.

State Finance Minister Swapan Dasgupta was also felicitated and praised East Bengal Club as not only a sporting institution but also a cultural landmark.

Bharat Gaurav Awards

The prestigious Bharat Gaurav Award was presented to eminent economist Sanjeev Sanyal and renowned music composer Pritam Chakraborty.

Receiving the honour, Sanjeev Sanyal dedicated the award to his childhood friend Niladri Majumdar, while Pritam Chakraborty emotionally described East Bengal as “not just a club, but a family,” remembering how his family taught him to love the Red-and-Gold colours.

Honouring Sporting Excellence

The evening also recognised excellence within the East Bengal family through several prestigious annual awards.

• Footballer of the Year (Banwarilal Roy Award): Anwar Ali
• Women’s Footballer of the Year: Sathi Debnath
• Emerging Footballer (Jiban Chakraborty Award): Edmund Lalrindika
• Pradip Bandyopadhyay Award: Bino George
• Cricketer of the Year (Gopal Basu Award): Ritam Porel
• Supporter of the Year (Swapan Ball Award): Monomoy Bhattacharya, Kalpana Chakraborty, Shyamal Majumdar and Riju Das
• Best Journalist (Ajay Basu Award): Bikrant Gupta
• Best Sports Photojournalist (Pushpen Sarkar Award): Shankar Nag Das
• Pride of Bengal Award: Sulanjana Raul
• Lifetime Achievement Award (Nasa Sen & Bomkesh Basu): Former captains Balai Mukherjee and Tarun Dey

Former referees Bholanath Dutta and Piyush Roy were also honoured for their lifelong contribution to the game.

Looking Ahead with Pride

Sports Minister Indranil Khan, while felicitated by the club, congratulated the football team on its impressive Durand Cup performance and expressed hope that the Red-and-Gold brigade would add more trophies to its illustrious history before next year’s Foundation Day celebrations.

A Celebration of Legacy

The grand celebration concluded in the presence of club officials, former footballers, sporting personalities, distinguished guests, and thousands of passionate supporters. The programme was eloquently hosted by renowned sports journalist Goutam Bhattacharya.

The 107th Foundation Day served as a fitting tribute to East Bengal Club’s remarkable journey over the past century—celebrating not only its glorious sporting achievements but also its enduring values of courage, unity, resilience, and social commitment.

As the Red-and-Gold family embarks on another chapter in its illustrious history, the spirit of East Bengal continues to inspire generations, carrying forward a legacy built on passion, perseverance, and pride.