The popularity of the MP Cup football tournament, started by Trinamool MP Abhishek Banerjee, in his Diamond Harbour constituency has created a huge impact across the State. Following the footsteps of Diamond Habour, MP Cup Football tournaments will now be held in two other Lok Sabha constituencies, Purulia and Ranaghat.
This Sunday, the Purulia edition of the MP Cup tournament has been kicked off at the MSA Ground in Purulia town. MP Mriganka Mahato along with other eminent personalities were present on the occasion. Superb performance of the popular Bangla band ‘Bhoomi’ was an added attraction. Tapas Mondal, MP, Ranaghat is coordinating the Ranaghat MP cup.
The Purulia edition of the MP Cup tournament will be held for 21 days. One team from every Gram Panchayat will compete. The group league matches will continue till February 12-13. After the knock-out stage, the grand final will be held on February 17, at the Purulia MSA ground.
The Ranaghat edition of the MP Cup will be kicked-off on January 30, at 3:30 PM, at the Vivekananda Stadium in Ranaghat. The formal will be the same with the group league matches being held till February 9. The semi-finals will be held on February 19 and 20 while the final will be held February 24 at the Nasra School ground.
While cricket and badminton tournaments are quite popular features in the winter, across the State, football carries a special sentiment in Bengal. The people of Purulia and Ranaghat share the same sentiment and as a result, the tournament would find immense popularity here too.