EAST BENGAL ARE taking on an intiative to be an active participant in the efforts to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus, both through donation and direct outreach.
Talking to reporters, East Bengal senior official Debabrata Sarkar announced that next week the club would donate at least Rs 30 lakhs to the West Bengal Chief Minister's fund to combat COVID-19. The announcement came a day after the Red and Golds' arch rivals and I-League champions Mohun Bagan donated Rs 20 lakhs to the same fund.
But East Bengal are taking a step further in standing with the ground staff of the Maidaan area who worked at the various clubs in the area, taking care of the playing fields and canteens. As the clubs have shut their doors due to the ongoing pandemic, their livelihoods have come under risk.
To help them out, EB have announced that on Sunday they will donate food to the ground staff - not only of their own club but every club in the Maidaan - to help them as they face weeks of lockdown with the rest of the country.
East Bengal's own season remains postponed with the rest of the I-League, and the club officials were trying to look for a new investor on an urgent basis in order to move to the Indian Super League before the pandemic hit.
At this point it's unclear whether the club will be able to follow their rivals Mohun Bagan into ISL, but what's apparent is that they are not letting go of the spirit of fighting against adversities and solidarity with its people that led to its foundation a hundred years ago.