Kolkata: Legendary Indian footballer Subhash Bhowmick lashed out at the All India Football Federation, calling them ‘pimps’ and a sell-out to the Indian Super League and the IMG -Reliance.
Blaming current AIFF President Praful Patel for neglecting and refusing to include both East Bengal and Mohun Bagan in the lucrative ISL, Bhowmick added that had Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi been alive, Bengal football would have never fallen from it’s pedestal.
“I think for the past 9 years had Priya da been okay, Bengal football wouldn’t have met such low standards and both Indian and Bengal football wouldn’t have been insulted by some pimps. The Federation officials have sold themselves to IMG-Reliance and the ISL,”said the former coach of both the Kolkata giants. Bhowmick along with few other big names, such as Manaranjan Bhattacharya, Prasun Bannerjee and Goutam Sarkar attended a programme organised by ‘Inside Sports’ to respect and honour the former AIFF head and an Congress MP Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi after his demise on November 20.
The footballing great also slammed the standard of Indian football and the tactics of the AIFF officials to attract audience. “There is no audience, with not so much great standard of playing. So to fill the stadiums they have to bring Katrina Kaif or Priyanka Chopra,” added Bhowmick in a disgust tone.
1979 Arjuna award winner Prasun Bannerjee, who was also present on the occasion echoed along the same lines saying, “Despite being in the top of the Federation, Priya da has always highly hailed the players of Bengal. So I guess had he been alive Mohun Bagan or East Bengal wouldn’t have been neglected by the ISL.”
The former Mohun Bagan legend and of the only two Indians to ever play for an All-Asian XI team, Banerjee also credited the deceased president for the bringing the U-17 World Cup to India.
“The idea to host the World Cup was also dreamed by Priyaranjan Das Munshi when the former FIFA President Sepp Blatter visited India. However in the recently concluded FIFA U17 World Cup nothing was said about him in any of the 6 venues,” he said.
The MLA also pleaded to the AIFF for starting a football tournament to honour Dasmunsi. “Keeping his contribution in mind we want to start a competition on his name and i will right a letter to the Federation regarding that,” added the former Indian football great.