- November 20, 2025
East Bengal Appeals To PM Narendra Modi For Support In Reviving Indian Football, Namedrop 2030 CWG
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East Bengal requests Prime Minister Narendra Modi to revive Indian football amidst ISL uncertainty and declining FIFA rankings.
East Bengal have written to PM Modi (Picture credit: X @eastbengal_fc)
With Indian football left in dire straits due to problematic administration leading to constant downfall, 29-time IFA Shield champions East Bengal have now knocked on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s door, seeking help for the revival of Indian football, which has fallen to a record low.
In the letter, East Bengal highlighted that the Indian team has fallen to 142nd in the latest FIFA rankings, despite its storied history that includes Asian Games gold medals in 1951 and 1962 and a bronze in 1970.
East Bengal is one of 12 Indian Super League teams that have filed an intervention application with the Supreme Court, seeking a resolution to the ongoing uncertainty over the ISL season schedule.
East Bengal voiced concern that the Indian Super League, the nation’s top-tier football league, has yet to commence this season, causing ‘deep distress’ among players, clubs, officials and fans.
“There is no clarity on when, or whether, it will commence. This uncertainty has created widespread anxiety and threatens the integrity and future of the sport,” East Bengal president Murari Lal Lohia wrote in the letter.
The club, which boasts a fan base of over 4.5 crore, stated that declining governance over the past four to five years has harmed the sport’s ecosystem.
Despite football being one of India’s most followed sports, the club said that administrative paralysis and lack of investment had stalled progress.
The letter requested PM Modi to facilitate the immediate start of the Indian Super League and help revive corporate investment and sponsorship, which have declined and contributed to the current stalemate.
“Your guidance is urgently required to restore corporate confidence and ensure the smooth functioning of the league,” the letter said.
It referenced the 2030 Commonwealth Games in Ahmedabad as well, noting that bolstering football would be crucial in the lead-up to such a major event.
November 20, 2025, 21:48 IST
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