Rahul Giri in Bhubaneswar
Football has always been more than just a game. It unites, it inspires, and in moments of deep pain, it helps heal. On Tuesday, the Kalinga Super Cup showed us just that.
As the round-of-16 clash between Bengaluru FC and Inter Kashi began at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, the mood was heavy. A minute’s silence was observed before kick-off. Both teams wore black armbands — a small but powerful gesture of mourning — to honour the victims of the tragic terror attack in Pahalgam that shocked the entire nation.
This wasn’t just a symbolic act. It was football doing what it has done so many times before — standing up, standing united, and showing the world that it feels the pain too.
In the past, we have seen the sport become a platform for protest and unity. Even last year in Kolkata, fans of both East Bengal and Mohun Bagan came together to raise their voices against the RG Kar incident. And now, in Bhubaneswar, the football fraternity once again came together — not to celebrate a goal, but to mourn a national tragedy.
Clubs across the Super Cup have shared their grief and solidarity through emotional messages.
Mohun Bagan shared their message: “Our hearts are heavy with sorrow as we mourn the loss of innocent lives in the tragic Pahalgam attack.”
“They say the show must go on,” Inter Kashi’s wrote in their statement. “And it does. But not without remembrance. Not without rage. Pahalgam bleeds, and so do we… Sport goes on, yes — but not in silence. Because sport reflects life, and today, we raise our voices for the lives that were so cruelly taken away. We stand united — in grief, in rage, and in resolve.”
Kerala Blasters also expressed their pain: “What happened in Pahalgam is heartbreaking beyond words. Our thoughts are with the victims and their families. We stand in solidarity with all those impacted by this appalling act.”
East Bengal, too, responded with a strong voice: “We at East Bengal are deeply moved and saddened by the horrific attack on innocent civilians in Pahalgam. We stand with the victims’ families. Violence has no place in humanity. May peace and justice prevail.”
Even the All India Football Federation (AIFF) added their voice. President Shri Kalyan Chaubey said: “On behalf of the entire Indian football fraternity, we express our deepest condolences on the tragic loss of lives in the heinous terrorist attack in Pahalgam.”