Durand Cup 2024: Lucknow to host Mohun Bagan vs East Bengal contest after initial postponement

Indian football fans will witness the high-voltage clash between Mohun Bagan and East Bengal after the initial postponement of the Durand Cup. The announcement was made on Thursday (Aug 22) after the tournament organisers found a way to arrange the match having originally been scheduled for Sunday (Aug 18). The main reason for the postponement was the inability of the Kolkata police to provide the required security for the match as the state capital is enduring a tough time in terms of law and order due to the tragic rape and murder case in the RG Kar Medical College.

Lucknow to host Mohun Bagan vs East Bengal

The idea of hosting the derby in Lucknow was proposed by All India Football Federation (AIFF) President Kalyan Chaubey during a recent meeting with the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Yogi Adityanath. The iconic K.D. Singh Babu Stadium in Lucknow will host the match on September 2 as the football fans in the state will enjoy high-quality football action. A crowd of around 10,000 is expected to attend the match as fans after the idea was accepted without any delay.

The major decision to postpone the clash came after the majority of the Kolkata police staff was employed to maintain law and order in the state capital. Earlier in the month an unfortunate incident of rape and murder in the RG Kar Medical College raised law and order issues amid protests and strikes from the doctors have taken place in Kolkata.

Kolkata police and the Bidhannagar police were tasked to look after the security during the local derby. Debashis Dutta, a top official of the Mohun Bagan club, stated that they were informed of the decision verbally to cancel the match in Kolkata.

The clash will come just days before the start of the Indian Super League (ISL) with teams ready to make their mark in the nation’s biggest league competition.

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