File image of Indian team celebrating after defeating Kenya | Photo Credit: IANS

Key Highlights India are set to host Bangladesh in the third Group E fixture of the 2022 FIFA World Cup and 2023 AFC Asian Cup qualifiers at the Yuva Bharati Krirangan A giant 80 X 60 feet tifo will be unveiled by supporters to back the Indian football team for their crucial match in Kolkata Fans, who are working 24x7 behind the scenes to make the match an unforgettable affair, shared their thoughts on the build-up to the highly anticipated match

India are set to host Bangladesh in the third Group E fixture of the 2022 FIFA World Cup and 2023 AFC Asian Cup qualifiers at the Yuva Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata on Tuesday. The Blue Tigers will be taking to the iconic pitch of the Salt Lake Stadium for the first time in eight years and the atmosphere at the Mecca of Indian football is going to be humongous, given the fact that the tickets have been sold out 48 hours before the kick-off. Blue Tigers got a rousing welcome from fans when they landed at the Kolkata airport on Sunday and the build-up leading to the match is going to increase with every passing moment.

Not only will it be a packed crowd in Kolkata, a gigantic 80x60 feet tifo is set to be unveiled to make the match an unforgettable affair. However, it was not easy planning something of this magnitude and fans of different clubs had to join forces to make this plan a reality; nothing comes ahead of country, right? Blue Pilgrims – Indian team’s supporters' group – along with many fan groups of East Bengal, Mohun Bagan and one of the largest football groups on Facebook – Football is in our Blood – got into the same page to make this distant dream a reality. Apart from the tifo, a capacity crowd at the Yuva Bharati Krirangan was also a major target for everyone working behind the scenes to make India versus Bangladesh clash a successful event.

“We have been watching the enormous efforts that Blue Pilgrims have put in various matches of India, most recent being the India vs Oman match on September 5, where they collaborated with Highlander Brigade – NorthEast United FC,” told Deep Ranjan Paul, a member of the East Bengal the Real Power (East Bengal FC’s biggest fan group) to www.timesnownews.com.

“EBRP loved the opportunity of working with Blue Pilgrims, such a smart, passionate group of Ultras who are travelling around the world to support Indian football, when they asked for support from all the fan clubs in Bengal. For us at EBRP, doing something for the national team has been of topmost priority because the country comes first to us, then any inter-club rivalry.

When it comes to supporting the national football team, we choose to keep aside any sort of ideological difference between other fan groups, and always want to rise beyond the barrier of clubs, cities, cultures, and wanted to be united as one,” Deep further said.

However, when it comes to bringing supporters of East Bengal and Mohun Bagan under the same roof, things can get a bit tricky or probably nasty, given the rich history of their rivalry. During Kolkata Derby, the two fan base loathe each other. But when it comes to doing something for the Blue Tigers, they joined forces and made the pre-match build-up a success. But again, it was not the easiest of starts for East Bengal and Mohun Bagan fans.

“Honestly, this was the toughest part. Every day, supporters of both the clubs troll each other, banter against each other. But deep down, we all knowingly or unknowingly, realise that it’s a love-hate relationship that East-Mohun shares. We hate each other to the core of our heart, but at the same time, we really can’t live without each other,” said Deep.

“When different groups like EBRP, Roaring Bangals, Lal Holud Aikya, Lal Holud Bahini (All East Bengal Fan clubs) and Mariner’s Base Camp, Jiboner Rong Sobuj Maroon (JRSM), Rokte Amar Mohun Bagan (RAMB), Andul Mariners, Nabadwip Mariners, Chandannagar Mariners, Green and Maroon Warriors, Beleghata Mariners, Thakurpukur Mohuntori (All Mohun Bagan Fan Clubs) met for the first time together, along with neutral groups such as Football is in Our Blood (FIIOB) and Raudy Soccer League (RSL), we have no shame to admit that the situation was tensed, and there were doubts on how this is gonna work, with so much of rivalry."

"Blue Pilgrims played a vital role here to bring everyone under the same roof and defined the different tasks to each of these fan groups. Slowly, people started showing a positive intent towards the unified goal of doing something for the Indian team. A working committee, consisting senior members of each group, was formed, who then took the responsibility to maintain an atmosphere of trust and sort out any differences that may have arrived due to the rivalry that we have. People soon realised the gravity and the importance of this event, especially when the Indian national football team is going to play on Bengal soil after eight long years,” Deep said.

“First of all, it’s a unique experience for all of us who have been arch-rivals for eternity. To come together forgetting our rivalry and differences under the banner of Blue Pilgrims, the ultras of the Indian national football team, is something that we are very much excited about,” Prasenjit Sarkar, a member of Mariners’ Base Camp (one of Mohun Bagan biggest supporters group) told www.timesnownews.com.

“The main goal is to show the Indian Football fraternity that Kolkata is the Mecca of Indian Football for a reason. When it comes to the nation, under the Tricolour we all are together, all of us are Blue Pilgrims. We have worked tirelessly side by side for the last few weeks to pull off the gallery activities for October 15 and shared some really good times while doing it. We can't wait for the match day to unveil our tifo and other activities," they added.

The 80x60 feet tifo is going to mesmerise football lovers on Tuesday when it gets unveiled amid the loud cheers of the capacity crowd in Kolkata. The tifo is not just a piece of art but has the blood, sweat and tears of thousands of fans who made the crowdfunding process an instant hit. When people say Indian football is on a rise, start believing it as it took just less than five days to achieve the target for the tifo. Such is the love for football in India that Minerva Punjab FC owner Ranjit Bajaj didn't think twice before donating Rs 10,000 for the campaign. The same amount was donated by Indian cricket team's supporters' group, The Bharat Army. But it is not about the amount, it is about the love and passion towards the beautiful game.

“When the artist from Blue Pilgrims shared the draft sketch of the tifo to all of the different fan clubs' members, we all were awestruck. The design was superb, but the real USP was the concept. You just can’t help but be impressed. It has the true essence of Kolkata football and depicts the eternal truth of football fraternity of India. Everyone’s opinion mattered, and we all provided our inputs to make it better. The artist has done a fantastic job with the sketch, I must say,” EBRP said.

“The response was overwhelming. We decided to have Milaap link to raise fund for this. In this way, all the transactions would be online and transparent. Blue Pilgrims launched the crowdfunding program on Sep 25th, and in less than five days, the target was achieved. You can understand how keen and kind people are to this initiative,” they added.

“There were contributions ranging from Rs 10 to Rs 5,000l, and trust me, the amount doesn’t matter. No contribution is small. The love people showed to us is the motivation for all of us to deliver something good in return and make everyone proud. Many NRIs have also come forward to contribute to this event. The famous Bharat Army also extended their help to this fundraisers,” EBRP further said.

Tifos have become a regular when it comes to high-octane matches in Indian club football. But it is always a moment giving goosebumps when the centre of the subject is the Indian football team. The supporters working behind the scenes are confident that the players of the Indian football team will not forget what they are going to witness in Kolkata. From landing at the airport to singing the national anthem in front of the crowd, the Blue Tigers can expect something special on Tuesday.

“We have planned for different gallery activities on the match day, displaying the tifo is just a part of it. We would not be able to reveal the tifo idea at this point, but fans can rest assured that the tifo would bring an instant smile on everyone’s face the moment it will be revealed. We are confident that the stadium will stand up together to appreciate the concept of this tifo. This will definitely make our football legends happy who have dominated Kolkata and Indian football for years,” EBRP said.

“Apart from that, there are other gallery activities, including continuous chants, which Blue Pilgrims always do. The anticipated success will surely be a huge booster for promoting football culture in India, and will motivate other people to feel the urge of coming to watch football matches more and more,” they added.

(Photo: Blue Pilgrims)

After picking up a point against Qatar, India will be looking to register their first win of the campaign and there couldn’t be a more special place to bag maximum points than the Mecca of Indian Football. The crowd will be behind the players, the chants are going to shatter decibel levels, making it an unforgettable event. The Blue Tigers are ready, the fans are ready and yes, Kolkata is ready!