Kolkata: In an unprecedented incident, Sourav Ganguly will be the recipient of both Mohun Bagan and East Bengal’s top awards this year.
The Mohun Bagan club’s executive committee on Wednesday chose the former India captain and BCCI president’s name for the club’s highest award — Mohun Bagan Ratna.
“Sourav is a Ratna for the whole country. So, it was an easy and unanimous decision to pick him for the award,” the club’s secretary Debasish Dutta said after the ExCo meeting.“Sourav has agreed to be present on July 29 to accept the award,” he added.
A couple of hours later, East Bengal club also announced that Sourav would be their choice for this year’s Bharat Gaurab award as well.
“On August 1, 2024, on the occasion of East Bengal club's 105th foundation day, the son of our home (and) former Indian cricket captain Sourav Ganguly will be honoured with the Bharat Gaurav award,” the club said in a statement.
This is for the time the same person has been honoured with the Big Two club’s highest awards. While the Mohun Bagan Ratna was introduced in 2001, East Bengal’s Bharat Gaurab award came into being in 2011.
Sourav — who represented Mohun Bagan for 9 seasons in domestic cricket — will mark a departure from the past when footballers were usually and preferably chosen for the green-and-maroon club’s top honour. Prior to him, footballers Gautam Sarkar (2023) and Shyam Thapa (2022) were awarded the same.
While Mohun Bagan’s awards ceremony is traditionally held on July 29 in honour of the club’s historic IFA Shield triumph in 1911, East Bengal observes the club’s foundation day two days later, on August 1.