In a first for an Indian football club, Mohan Bagan will have a mascot much like the European clubs.
West Bengal’s football powerhouse Mohun Bagan has decided to have Baggu the Royal Bengal tiger as their mascot.
Baggu suits the club and Mohun Bagan has stuck to the Royal Bengal tiger – the 20th century symbol of Mohun Bagan Athletic Club.
“I feel this will bring young people to watch the game and you know this indeed will help the game per say. The fans will like it and at the same time theme music will be fun,” says former Indian football team skipper Chuni Goswami.
To bring professional culture in India football, we are the first club in India to do it.
And being the first club of Bengal, it is only befitting that Baggu be the mascot of Mohan Bagan. The name of the mascot was chosen from among the following four names – Mahabal, Mama, Bade Miya and Baggu.
But despite all the enthusiasm among the officials, club veterans are taking a cynical view of things. They feel choosing a mascot is all fanfare and it’s the game that matters something that’s lacking.
“I don’t think it will make any difference. The players will have to play well as Baggu won’t play the game. We never had such things on our time. The main thing is that you have to have good coaching. Bring coach from a foreign country,” Sailendra Nath Manna, who was the skipper of the Indian team that won the Asian Games gold medal in 1951.
But despite the hardliners, Baggu is all set roar and his presence left the crowds cheering. Baggu’s presence not only made the players and referees happy but even the fans enjoyed it.
“We are looking towards modernisation. We pioneered many things before and now it’s Baggu. We are also going to introduce souvenir shops. This will bring professional culture in India football and we are the first club in India to do so,” Anjan Mitra, Secretary Mohun Bagan, says.
This is not the end and Mohan Bagan are shortly introducing a theme song like the other European clubs that is going to be composed by Bappi Lahiri.
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