Mohun Bagan Club to Have Special Gate Named after Pele

As a mark of tribute to the football legend Pele, who passed away on Thursday at the age of 82, Kolkata’s iconic Mohun Bagan Athletic Club has decided to name a new gate in the club premises in the Maidan area after the Brazilian icon.

Stating that the name of the gate will be ‘Pele Gate’, club secretary Debasish Dutta said, “We are trying to finish the construction of the new gate, which will be thrown open for the football lovers of the city at the earliest.”

The gate will act as a reminder for football lovers that Mohun Bagan is the only Indian club against whom Pele played, representing New York Cosmos Club.

The exhibition match played at the Eden Gardens on September 24, 1977 ended in a 2:2 draw. Mohammad Habib was and Shyam Thapa scored for Mohun Bagan. While Pele captained the Cosmos team, Mohun Bagan was led by defender Subrata Bhattacharya.

Meanwhile, the three iconic football clubs of Kolkata — Mohun Bagan, East Bengal and Mohammedan Sporting — kept their respective club flags half-mast throughout Friday as a mark of respect to Pele.