In a rare display of camaraderie, fans of arch-rivals East Bengal and Mohun Bagan in Bengaluru have come together for a noble cause.
On July 2, a friendly match between East Bengal and Mohun Bagan fans will be held in Kicks on Grass, Bellandur to raise funds for an ailing, die-hard Mariners fan and the family of an East Bengal fan who died recently.
Bapi Majhi, a 41-year-old lifelong Mariner who owns a humble tea stall in North Kolkata, is battling for life against pancreatic cancer since February this year.
Majhi was often seen traveling with his wife and daughter to far-off venues all over the country like Kochi and Goa and is already a household name among the club faithful.
Alip Chakroborty (46), who was a regular in the stands for East Bengal, died on May 26 this year at a Kolkata hospital. He succumbed to tongue cancer and is survived by his wife and six-year-old son.
This comes after 31 sports memorabilia contributed by the likes of Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Sourav Ganguly and Leander Paes were auctioned at a Kolkata hotel last week. That auction raised Rs 14 lakh for the cause.
Last year too, both clubs came together to fund Chakroborty’s treatment.