Mohun Bagan home matches shifted to Barasat after NGT order

High drama followed former champions Mohun Bagan’s build-up to the 10th I-League football as their home matches were shifted to Barasat Stadium after a National Green Tribunal order banning matches at Rabindra Sarobar over environment concerns.

With the Saltlake Stadium not available because of renovation for the upcoming FIFA U-17 World Cup, Mohun Bagan were originally slated to play at the Rabindra Sarovar Stadium located near the lake in a highly eco-sensitive zone. But acting on a plea, the NGT directed that Mohun Bagan would not be allowed to play at the Rabindra Sarobar Stadium owing to impact on the environment on the sprawling lake.

Mohun Bagan’s arch-rivals East Bengal already have Barasat as their home venue and the ruling would now mean both the Kolkata heavyweights would fight it out at the Vidyasagar Krirangan in the northern outskirts.

The 2015 champions kick-off their I-League campaign against Churchill Brothers at 7 pm on January 8 and they will play three back to back home matches.