Kolkata: Indian football legend PK Banerjee said Saturday that it’s an insult for Indian football that many top former players like Shyam Thapa, Prasun Banerjee and Subhas Bhowmick were not felicitated during the FIFA Under-17 World Cup opener in New Delhi earlier this month. He also blasted the local organizing committee (LOC) for adopting a ‘lottery system’ to distribute tickets among former footballers.
“It’s a huge loss of faith for the Indian football community. In cricket we all know about the star players. But footballers are habitually ignored. How will the football’s popularity grow if such is the attitude,” Banerjee said at a news conference at his residence.
Banerjee mentioned the names of his brother Prasun Banerjee, Shyam Thapa, Arun Ghosh, Subhas Bhowmick, Mohammad Habib and Sudhir Karmakar and urged the LOC to felicitate them during the final here, October 28.
“I’m not naming Prasun just because he’s my brother. He was one of Asia’s top footballers and the first Indian footballer to become a member of the Parliament. If someone as notable as Prasun is ignored, you may think of others…,” pointed out PK.
He also said it’s shameful that the LOC is distributing tickets with a lottery system for the final. “It’s truly shameful that the stars of yesteryears are given tickets by a lottery system. Of course the common people deserve to watch the final but one must never forget the past and the contribution of these former footballers,” PK asserted.
Press Trust of India
