Kolkata: Sixteen prominent city clubs, known for organising crowd-pulling Durga Pujas with eye-catching themes and grandeur, displayed their football skills at The Times of India Behala Cup 2026 football tournament. This was an initiative of Behala Club, organised over the weekend at Behala Harisava Maidan.
This was the second edition of the TOI Behala Cup in this format, with the puja clubs contesting against each other on the football field. Netaji Jatiyo Sebadal emerged the champion on Sunday, and Ballygunge 21 Pally lifted the runners-up trophy. The tournament was also live-streamed on social media.
The 16 puja clubs that participated were 41 Pally Club, 66 Pally Club, Ahiritola Yubak Brinda, Bakulbagan Sarbojanin Durgotsab, Ballygunge Cultural Association, Ballygunge 21 Pally, Behala 29 Pally, Bidhan Sarani Atlas Club, Dakhin Lake Pally Sanhati, DumDum Park Sarbojanin, Kashi Bose Lane Durga Puja Samity, Kestopur Prafulla Kanan (Paschim) Adhibashibrinda, Netaji Jatiyo Sebadal, Pratapaditya Road Trikon Park, Pally Unnayan Samity Paschim Putiary, and Uttar Halder Para Club.
The 16 teams were divided into two groups, A and B, with eight teams each. Four teams made it to the semi-finals. The first semi-final match was between Bakulbagan Sarbojanin Durgotsab and Netaji Jatiyo Sebadal, and the second semi-final was played between Ballygunge 21 Pally and 41 Pally Club.
After a neck-to-neck contest, Netaji Jatiyo Sebadal and Ballygunge 21 Pally entered the final. Following an exciting match, Netaji Jatiyo Sebadal won 2-1. Bunty Majumder was adjudged the man of the tournament, and Jitu Sekh was man of the final match. Debakar Sardar of 41 Pally Club was the highest goal scorer of the tournament.
Before commencing the semi-finals and final, an exhibition match was played between two local football camps consisting of children.
Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) MMiC Debashis Kumar, who was present during the children's exhibition match, said such tournaments were an excellent platform for future players to show their skills. "Junior players get a chance to show their ability, which will show them the path to play in the big league in the future," he said.
Behala Club assistant secretary Sayantan Bhattacharjee said they had the idea of involving puja clubs in a game of football because "Durga Puja and football are the two inseparable parts for which Bengalis are known". "It is from this concept that we came up with the plan to involve puja clubs in a football tournament," Bhattacharjee said.
Rohan Yadav of Netaji Jatiyo Sebadal, who was adjudged the best goalkeeper of the tournament, said that it was good to have such events, as not much football is now being played in Behala.
"Very few football tournaments are organised now. Earlier, more tournaments used to be organised. We want more such tournaments to come up," he said.