Kolkata derby turns into battle ground
10 Dec 2012 8:23 AM IST
Violence erupted at the Salt Lake Stadium on Sunday following crowd trouble during the Kolkata derby between East Bengal and Mohun Bagan. Things turned bad after Bagan’s half-time decision to pull out of the match, which drew one lakh plus spectators, after their player Syed Rahim Nabi suffered a head injury. He was hit by a stone hurled from a gallery packed with Mohun Bagan supporters. Nabi was rushed to a hospital where he received a few stitches for a head injury but was pronounced to be ‘out of danger’.
Trouble started a little after East Bengal took a 1-0 lead through Harmanjot Kharbra in the 43rd minute. Protesting against a foul given against his team, Bagan’s Nigerian striker Odafa Okoli charged towards referee Vishnu Chauhan. The forward got marching orders after his aggression.
Things flared up and missiles rained from the galleries. A stone hit Nabi, who bled profusely from near his right eye. Police chased away the miscreants and emptied a stand. The match resumed after a 13-minute halt.
During the intermission, Bagan officials held a meeting and announced they would not play any further. Bagan handed over a letter to the match commissioner citing players’ safety and law and order issues, said All India Football Federation (AIFF) chief executive officer Sundano Dhar.
‘The match commissioner went out of his way to persuade Bagan to change their stand and even went to the club dressing room. But the club did not relent,’ said Dhar. The match had to be called off.
Trouble started a little after East Bengal took a 1-0 lead through Harmanjot Kharbra in the 43rd minute. Protesting against a foul given against his team, Bagan’s Nigerian striker Odafa Okoli charged towards referee Vishnu Chauhan. The forward got marching orders after his aggression.
Things flared up and missiles rained from the galleries. A stone hit Nabi, who bled profusely from near his right eye. Police chased away the miscreants and emptied a stand. The match resumed after a 13-minute halt.
During the intermission, Bagan officials held a meeting and announced they would not play any further. Bagan handed over a letter to the match commissioner citing players’ safety and law and order issues, said All India Football Federation (AIFF) chief executive officer Sundano Dhar.
‘The match commissioner went out of his way to persuade Bagan to change their stand and even went to the club dressing room. But the club did not relent,’ said Dhar. The match had to be called off.
Next Story
