When Pele was left mesmerised in 'football capital' of India
Kolkata (PTI): Much before Diego Maradona's 'Hand of God' moment stirred the football passion in the region, it was the Brazilian maestro Pele who began Bengal's tryst with the 'beautiful game'.
Playing against Mohun Bagan on a slushy and jam-packed Eden Gardens on September 24, 1977 in the twilight of his career, the three-time World Cup winner was overwhelmed by the depth of talent a "little known" Indian club possessed.
Desperately seeking a revival after the dominance of arch-rivals East Bengal, the PK Banerjee-coached Mariners not only stopped the 'King of Football' from scoring a goal, but almost won 2-1 before a controversial penalty made it a 2-2 draw against the star-studded New York Cosmos.
PK had given mid-fielder Gautam Sarkar the big task of man-marking Pele and playing in the dream match of his life, he had given it all, something that was later acknowledged by the legend himself.
In the evening, Mohun Bagan had organised a felicitation ceremony for Pele where he was to be handed a diamond ring but the 'Black Pearl' was more interested in meeting the players first.
Goalkeeper Shibaji Banerjee was the first one in the list.
When the name of the sixth player was announced, Pele, surrounded by a galaxy of people, came out of the barricade and hugged the player.
"Sporting a wry smile he told me, 'So, you are that number 14 who did not allow me to move...' I was left awe-struck," Sarkar remembered that evening vividly, even after 45 years.
"Chunida (Chuni Goswami) was there standing beside me on the dias and heard all this. He soon told me: 'Gautam you now give up football -- what's there to achieve after hearing this compliment'. Indeed, this was the biggest achievement of my football career."
"I don't want to boast about myself, but according to a newspaper report my photo is still hanging in the New York Cosmos club. He was so overwhelmed by our play that he wanted to meet the players first. Never thought a club team from a country like India would play like this."
The exhibition match could see the light of the day because of the initiative of Dhiren Dey, a revered football administrator in Kolkata Maidan, then at the helm of Mohun Bagan as the general secretary.
"It seemed unreal when Dhirenda told us that Pele would play against us. We all told him to 'stop lying, it's unbelievable'. But as days passed and we got to know about it, we all had sleepless nights," Sarkar told PTI.
Preparation began three weeks in advance and Mohun Bagan had to prove a point.
"The prospect of playing against Pele was one of the reasons why I moved from East Bengal to Mohun Bagan. As it happened, it all changed our club's fortune," Shyam Thapa who famously gave Mohun Bagan the lead said.
Four days later, Mohun Bagan were to play against East Bengal in the coveted IFA Shield final and as it turned out, the Mariners won 1-0, ending their arch-rivals' title- winning streak.
"It was a platform for us to revive our fortunes. The result gave us much-needed confidence to face East Bengal. We found our mojo back," well-known Mohun Bagan defender Subrata Bhattacharya remembered.
They continued their revival as they went on to win the Rovers Cup and Durand Cup.
"We wanted to give everything in the field. The match helped us grow as a team," said then Mohun Bagan midfielder Prasun Banerjee, now a TMC member of Parliament.
The best chance for Pele to score came off a free-kick from the top of the box. The ball rose and spun in towards the left upright before being saved by a diving Shibaji Banerjee.
Pele revisited the city seven years back during the festive season of Durga Puja, this time with a walking stick but his aura had left everyone mesmerised, including the city's cricket icon Sourav Ganguly, a self-proclaimed Brazil fan.
"I've played three World Cups. There's a big difference between being a winner and a runner-up. To hold that World Cup and a few Golden Boots must be phenomenal," Ganguly said in awe of the great man in the felicitation ceremony at the Netaji Indoor Stadium.
Pele also reunited with the Mohun Bagan batch of 1977 including the legendary PK, Subhash Bhowmick and Shibaji Banerjee who are no more.
"I accepted to come here in India because I love the people here," Pele said.
The King of Football also had his sense of humour intact and gave a cheeky reply when someone in the dias asked him if there could be another Pele.
"Listen, I'm sorry. My father and my mother closed the machine. There will be no other Pele."
His last words before signing off were: "If I can help someway, I'll be here again."
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Israeli strikes kill at least 17 in Gaza as ground troops enter Palestinian territory's north
Deir al-Balah (Gaza), Apr 4 (AP): Israeli strikes killed more than a dozen people in the Gaza Strip early Friday, as Israel sent more ground troops into the Palestinian territory to ramp up its offensive against Hamas.
At least 17 people, some from the same family, were killed after an airstrike hit the southern city of Khan Younis, according to hospital staff. Hours later, people were still searching through the rubble, looking for survivors.
The attack follows days of Israeli strikes, which have killed at least 100 people, as it intensifies operations, intended to pressure Hamas to release its hostages. On Friday, Israel said it had begun ground activity in northern Gaza, in order to expand its security zone.
Israel's military had issued sweeping evacuation orders for parts of northern Gaza before expected ground operations. The UN humanitarian office said around 280,000 Palestinians have been displaced since Israel ended the ceasefire with Hamas last month.
In recent days, Israel's vowed to seize large parts of the Palestinian territory and establish a new security corridor across it.
To pressure Hamas, Israel has imposed a monthlong blockade on food, fuel and humanitarian aid that has left civilians facing acute shortages as supplies dwindle — a tactic that rights groups say is a war crime. Israel said earlier this week that enough food had entered Gaza during a six-week truce to sustain the territory's roughly 2 million Palestinians for a long time.
Hamas says it will only release the remaining 59 hostages — 24 of whom are believed to be alive — in exchange for the release of more Palestinian prisoners, a lasting ceasefire and an Israeli pullout from Gaza. The group has rejected demands that it lay down its arms or leave the territory.
The predawn strike on Friday hit a three-story building. In addition to the dead, the attack wounded at least 16 people from the same family. Associated Press reporters saw bodies being carried out in blankets, while others searched for people trapped under the rubble and collected charred remains.
“We don't know how to collect them and how to bury them. We don't know whose remains these are. They were burned and dismembered,” said Ismail Al-Aqqad, whose brother died in the strike, as well as his brother's family.
On Thursday, more than 30 bodies, including women and children, were taken to hospitals in and around Khan Younis, according to hospital staff.
Israel said Friday that it had killed a top Hamas commander in a strike in Lebanon's coastal city of Sidon. Israel said that Hassan Farhat was a commander of Hamas' western area in Lebanon and that he was responsible for numerous attacks against Israel, including one in February 2024, which killed an Israeli soldier and injured others.
The war began when Hamas-led group attacked southern Israel on Oct 7, 2023, killing around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking 251 hostages, most of whom have since been released in ceasefire agreements and other deals. Israel rescued eight living hostages and has recovered dozens of bodies.
More than 50,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza as part of Israel's offensive, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which doesn't say whether those killed are civilians or combatants. The ministry says more than half of those killed were women and children. Israel says it has killed around 20,000 Hamas fighters, without providing evidence.
The war has left most of Gaza in ruins, and at its height displaced around 90% of the population.
