Sports min’s football faux pas at ISL event sparks row
Times of India | 8 January 2026
Kolkata: What was meant to be a routine announcement on the return of the Indian Super League (ISL) took an unexpected turn on Tuesday after Union sports minister Mansukh Mandaviya stumbled over the names of two of Indian football's most iconic clubs— East Bengal and Mohun Bagan.
Mandaviya addressed the media alongside All India Football Federation president Kalyan Chaubey and club officials to confirm that the ISL 2025–26 season would begin on Feb 14.
However, attention soon shifted from the announcement to the minister's gaffe. While referring to Kolkata's traditional rivals East Bengal and Mohun Bagan, Mandaviya mispronounced both as "Mohun Began" and "East Began". The brief slip was followed by an awkward pause, a request for assistance and a quick correction, but by then the moment had already been captured on camera.
By Wednesday morning, the clip had gone viral, triggering widespread reactions on social media ranging from disbelief to sharp ridicule.
"For football fans in Bengal, this is not just a harmless mistake. Mohun Bagan and East Bengal are more than clubs. They are century-old institutions and emotional lifelines. A sports minister should at least know the names of such legendary teams," posted Subhadip Dutta, an X user.
Trinamool MP Sagarika Ghose mocked the incident with biting sarcasm. "Mohun ‘baingan', East ‘baingan' indeed. Bengal voters will make baingan bharta of bhajapa," she wrote on X.
TMC neta Kunal Ghosh questioned how a Union sports minister could falter on names that, he said, even casual football followers know by heart.
In a strongly worded post, the party accused what it called "Bangla-birodhi forces" of showing contempt for Bengal's footballing culture. "Football runs in Bengal's blood. We live it and breathe it," the statement said, adding that such sentiments would never be understood by "bohiragotos" who view the state with disdain.
BJP neta Amit Malviya accused the TMC of indulging in theatrics and deflecting attention from what he described as mismanagement of football events in Bengal, including the controversial Messi event.