In a video doing rounds on social media, the governor of West Bengal, La. Ganesan is seen pushing Indian football team captain Sunil Chhetri, as the former tries to get himself in the frame for a photo.
The incident took place at Kolkata's Vivekananda Yuva Bharati Krirangan on Sunday, 18 September. Following the win against Mumbai City FC in the final, Bengaluru FC striker Sunil Chhetri went to the presentation ceremony to collect an award, where he was pushed by the governor.
The governor has since been widely criticized for his actions, as the video went viral. Bengali actor Shaheb Bhattacharjee, who is also Chhetri's brother-in-law, wrote on Facebook "Does not suit a man of your "position" to push and shove the Indian Football Captain to hog some limelight."
Unfortunately, this was not a standalone occurrence, as another Bengaluru FC player in Sivasakthi Narayanan also received the same treatment. When he went to collect the trophy, the youngster was pushed by the Sports Minister of the state, Aroop Biswas. The viral videos have led to many criticizing politicians' involvement in sports.
Robin Uthappa Comes Out in Sunil Chhetri’s Support
Former Indian cricketer Robin Uthappa, who recently announced his retirement, came out in support of the Indian football skipper. "Thats just all sorts of wrong!! Sorry @chetrisunil11 you deserve so much better than this!!" he wrote on Twitter.
As for the match, Bengaluru FC defeated Mumbai City FC by a 2-1 margin to win their maiden Durand Cup title, while it also was Chhetri's first triumph in this historic competition. Sivasakthi Narayanan and Alan Costa were the scorers for the Blues.
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)