The parent company of ATK, the RPSG Group, have acquired 80% of the Kolkata football giants’ share while the 20% will remain to Mohun Bagan.
Sourav Ganguly. (File Photo: IANS)
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president and ATK co-owner Sourav Ganguly on Thursday praised the decision of the ISL franchise and Kolkata football giants Mohun Bagan to merge together saying ” they will be the torchbearers for Indian football.”
Taking to his official Twitter handle, “A momentus partnership for Bengal football. I have no doubt ATK and Mohun Bagan will be torchbearers of moving Indian football forward together. @IndSuperLeague.”
The parent company of ATK, the RPSG Group, have acquired 80% of the Kolkata football giants’ share while the 20% will remain to Mohun Bagan Football Club (India) Private Limited.
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The merged entity will likely be called ATK-Mohun Bagan and they will play the next season of the Indian Super League, meaning the ongoing I-League will be Mohun Bagan’s last. The team will take part in all the other important competitions of the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and will play the Calcutta Football League as well.
Commenting on the unison and the opportunities it presents, Swapan Sadhan Bose, Chairman, Mohun Bagan Football Club (India), said in a joint press release, “As much as we want the romance of the Maroon and Green jersey and it’s 130-year-old tradition to continue, there comes a time when romance almost invariably requires a partner named practicality. To usher into the new era of football, you need bigger investments and a corporate force to take it forward. This is undoubtedly a harsh and the bigger truth.
“In this context, I am very thankful to India’s one of the most well-known industrialists and our Kolkata’s very own Sanjiv Goenka for his investment through RPSG. Their vision on Indian football aligns with our philosophy and our combined forces will surely take the club to bigger and greater heights. In this respect, it is a red-letter day in the history of this iconic institution.”
“RPSG Group, which has a 200-year-old legacy, is humbled and honoured to welcome Mohun Bagan with folded hands and open arms to the RPSG family,” RPSG Group Chairman Sanjeev Goenka said.
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