Author: Rohan Chowdhury

East Bengal Club has rediscovered its form in the ongoing Indian Super League (ISL) after a poor start. Their recent 4-2 victory over Punjab FC, overturning a 0-2 halftime deficit, has boosted their morale. However, this article focuses on something different: the exhibition of East Bengal’s artefacts at the Kolkata Centre for Culture as part of the AMI Arts Festival. This exhibition celebrates East Bengal’s 105th anniversary in 2025, which ends on Sunday, December 22. The exhibition features priceless artefacts and memorabilia spanning the club’s rich history. Among the highlights is a jersey from the 1925 season. It was the…

East Bengal are back, and the resurgence is impossible to miss. With three consecutive clean sheets, including two victories, the Red-and-Gold brigade have clawed their way to 11th spot in the ISL 2024-25 league standings. Their latest triumph, a commanding 2-0 away win against Chennaiyin FC, sets the stage for an enticing home clash against Odisha FC on December 12. This turnaround is a testament to their reinvigorated fitness regime and the tactical acumen of their Spanish coach, Oscar Bruzon. Every player has played a pivotal role. Saul Crespo, Bruzon’s fellow Spaniard, has emerged as East Bengal’s midfield general, dictating…

Doctors often prescribe a fresh approach to heal a lingering ailment – be it a change in routine, a new treatment plan, or a shift in perspective. For East Bengal, their AFC Challenge League campaign in Bhutan felt like just that – a much-needed remedy to rejuvenate a side mired in one of its darkest phases. After suffering six consecutive defeats in the Indian Super League (ISL), the red-and-gold brigade needed more than just a change in results. They needed a reset. Under the guidance of new coach Oscar Bruzon, they began rediscovering the resilience and identity that had defined…

The 2025 IPL mega auction is over in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and all 10 franchises are set for the new season. Punjab Kings boasted the biggest purse, Rs 110.5 crore, going into the auction. The franchise retained only two players, wicketkeeper-batter Prabhsimran Singh and all-rounder Shashank Singh, so they had much to fill at the auction. Hits Under head coach Ricky Ponting, the Punjab franchise’s biggest buy was the former Kolkata Knight Riders skipper Shreyas Iyer for a staggering sum of Rs 26.75 crore. Iyer led KKR to the IPL 2024 title and is going to be the captaincy choice…

The IPL 2025 Mega Auction is around the corner, and the Indian media fraternity and fans are going bonkers about it. Alongside the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, the buzz regarding the auction is palpable. Millions will be spent in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on November 24 and 25, and lives will be transformed. Top cricketers, Indians and overseas, uncapped and capped – all will go under the hammer and the franchise owners will empty their purses trying to pick the players of their choice. A certain uncapped player might fetch a huge sum while some sure bets might fetch less. The auction dynamics…

When Inter Miami CF were founded six years ago, in 2018, it was just another club battling for a mid-table finish in Major League Soccer (MLS). Fast forward to today, and it’s now one of the most talked-about football – or soccer, as they call it in the States – clubs worldwide, after they signed Lionel Messi in 2023. The team’s pink jersey featuring the iconic ‘Messi 10’ has become a global sensation. With recent signings like Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba, and Luis Suárez—all former FC Barcelona stars—Inter Miami’s fortunes transformed dramatically. They topped the MLS Eastern Conference, won the…

Rising through the ranks, way back in 2002, a certain boy from Madeira made his first appearance for Sporting Lisbon – Cristiano Ronaldo. Soon, he took the football world by storm. Fast forward 22 years, another forward is making waves at the same club –Swedish striker Viktor Gyokeres. The 26-year-old Swedish striker grabs headlines regularly, thanks to his remarkable scoring record for Sporting Lisbon. His numbers in the Green and White jersey are astounding – in 68 appearances he has scored 66 goals and contributed 19 assists. Gyokeres arrived at Sporting’s Estádio José Alvalade last season from Coventry City, then…

It is time for another Kolkata derby in the Indian Super League. This time, East Bengal host Mohammedan Sporting Club at Salt Lake Stadium on Saturday (November 9). Both sides come into this match not in great shape. Though Mohammedan SC started well by securing four points from their first three games, they suffered three back-to-back losses after that, against Mohun Bagan, Kerala Blasters and Hyderabad FC. East Bengal, on the other hand, are yet to open their account. Oscar Bruzon and his side did secure passage into the quarter-finals of the AFC Challenge League, but their ISL record reads…

Hosting an Olympic Games is a White Elephant—this everlasting debate has been going on for years. Paris 2024, the first Games under the Olympic Agenda 2020, has managed to defy this long-lasting debate. The Olympic Agenda 2020 and its reforms aim to attain a sustainable Olympic movement that leaves a legacy to be cherished by society and enhances the essence of the Games. Greece spent over $11 billion hosting the Athens 2004 Games, which had a huge impact on the country’s economy. Many venues and infrastructure created for the Games turned out to be a burden on the country. The…

Derbies in any sport, anywhere in the world, transcend the boundaries of the game. They strike deep emotional chords, connecting players, fans, and even the families who stand by their teams, feeling every high and low as their own. In these intense contests, loyalty is generational and passion palpable. The hundred-year-old Kolkata derby between East Bengal and Mohun Bagan is a testament to this legacy, standing as the biggest and oldest football derby in Asia. Here, emotions reach back to the roots of not just the clubs but of the communities they represent. In recent years, Mohun Bagan has dominated…