I-League 2017: Eight East Bengal supporters arrested after alleged assault on Aizawl FC fans

What’s the story?

Defending champions Aizawl FC got a hard-fought 2-2 draw against I-League giants East Bengal at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata. However, their large contingent of travelling fans had to allegedly face the wrath of the East Bengal fans after the match. Eight East Bengal fans are said to have been arrested by the police after they assaulted some Aizawl fans.

In case you didn’t know…

Both Aizawl and East Bengal got their I-League campaigns underway at the Salt Lake Stadium on Tuesday, as the visitors mounted a late comeback to draw level 2-2 with the Kolkata giants. However, what unfolded after the match, is something that nobody would like to see taking place around the beautiful game.

Heart of the matter

Various reports suggest that a number of East Bengal fans, angry after Aizawl’s late equaliser, assaulted a number of Aizawl fans outside the Salt Lake Stadium. However, the assaulters were soon intervened by the Police.

Reports also suggest that a number of other East Bengal supporters and volunteers also came to the aid of the travelling fans, as they intervened the attackers.

What’s next?

It remains to be seen what action is taken against the eight fans who have been arrested. The two clubs will now be looking to put Tuesday’s result behind them and move forward with their I-League campaigns. East Bengal are all set to face off against arch-rivals Mohun Bagan in the much-anticipated Kolkata Derby on Sunday.

Author’s take

While it is not clear whether this is a case of racism or not, the incident comes just days after another alleged case of racism and eve-teasing at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Chennai, when a Chennaiyin FC fan was seen harassing a group of NorthEast United FC supporters, in a video. Things like racism, harassment, and violence have no place in the beautiful game and need to be stamped out.