100 years commemoration of the East Bengal Football Club will be celebrated worldwide in coming August with much pomp and gaiety. It will be observed by the community across 6 continents- Asia, Africa, Europe, North America, South America and Australia with same jubilation, led by Bengal Heritage Foundation, and supported by a fan club of East Bengal FC. Yellow and red striped club flag will be hoisted in 100 different locations across the globe on 3 and 4 August as part of the East Bengal centenary flag hoisting ceremony.
Speaking to Asian Voice, Anirban Kumar Mukhopadhyay, one of the key organisers from BHF- a brain behind this initiative said, “We start in Dhaka on 3 August at 12 noon and then move west to India, Middle East, Africa, Europe, UK, US, Canada, Brazil - all hoisting flags at 12 noon - then cross the international date line into Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia Malaysia and Singapore - all on 12 noon on 4th August - till it comes back to India for the closing ceremony of the East Bengal centenary global flag hoisting initiative in Kolkata on 4th August at 12 noon.”
Kolkata in India will see the formal celebrations by the Club first, starting on 1 August. The first flag hoisting ceremony will be at Kumortuli, in Kolkata from where the journey began 100 years ago. East Bengal fans will wave the club flag in various significant parts of the city, sign on them, take photographs, creating memories – all of which will be documented in the future and displayed in various museums.
In Belgium the flag will be hoisted by former coach Philippe De Ridder. In the UK, Chima Okorie will be present either in Manchester or London during the hoisting ceremony. In Brazil’s Sao Paulo, the flag will be hoisted by Douglas Silva and in Ghana it will be the famous Sule Musa.
