Kolkata is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of West Bengal. It lies on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River, 80 km (50 mi) west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary financial and commercial center of eastern and northeastern India. Kolkata is the seventh most populous city of India with an estimated city proper population of 4.5 million (0.45 crore). It is the centre of the Kolkata Metropolitan Region, which is one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world being 3rd in India; 2nd in Bengal Region; 13th in Asia and 16th in the world with a population of over 15 million. Kolkata is the de facto cultural capital of India and historically and culturally significant city in the historic region of Bengal. It is the second largest Bengali-speaking city in the world. It has the highest number of nobel laureates among all cities in India.
The University of Calcutta is a public state university located in Kolkata, West Bengal, India. It has 151 affiliated undergraduate colleges and 16 institutes in Kolkata and nearby areas. It was established on 24 January 1857 and is the oldest multidisciplinary university of Indian Subcontinent and South East Asian Region. Today, the university's jurisdiction is limited to a few districts of West Bengal, but at the time of its establishment it had a catchment area ranging from Kabul to Myanmar. Within India, it is recognized as a "Five-Star University" and accredited an "A++" grade by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC).
The Indian Football Association, abbreviated as IFA, is the organisation that administers association football in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is the oldest Football Association in India and was founded in 1893. Among the founders was former English international Elphinstone Jackson.
Calcutta Cricket & Football Club is an Indian multi-sports club based in Kolkata, West Bengal. Founded in 1792 as a cricket institution, the football and rugby sections were added when it merged with Calcutta Football Club in 1965.
East India is a region of India consisting of the Indian states of Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha and West Bengal and also the union territory of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The region roughly corresponds to the historical region of Magadha from which it inherits its various Eastern Indo-Aryan languages.
Rabindra Sarobar is an artificial lake, garden and park in South Kolkata in the Indian state of West Bengal. The name also refers to the area surrounding the lake. It is flanked by Southern Avenue to the North, Shyamaprasad Mukherjee Road to the West, Dhakuria to the East and the Kolkata Suburban Railway tracks to the south.
Calcutta South Club is a historic lawn tennis club and tennis training centre in Kolkata, India. The Club is on Woodburn Park Road beside Woodburn Park, located adjacent to the Bhawanipur Education Society College.
The Calcutta Rowing Club (CRC), located in Kolkata, West Bengal, India, was founded in 1858 and is one of the oldest rowing clubs of its kind outside the United Kingdom.
The IFA Shield is an annual football competition organized by the Indian Football Association, the football governing body in the Indian state of West Bengal. The IFA came into existence in 1893, and named after the association, the IFA Shield tournament was started in the same year. It is the third oldest football tournament in India, after Durand Cup and Trades Cup, and is among the oldest football competitions in the world.
Subimal "Chuni" Goswami was an Indian professional footballer and first-class cricketer. As footballer, he played as a striker or winger, captained both the Mohun Bagan club and the India national team. He also served as the Sheriff of Kolkata. Goswami scored nine goals in 30 international appearances. He was an Olympian, represented India national team at the 1960 Summer Olympics. He also led the team to achieve the gold medal at the 1962 Asian Games, and earn the runners-up position at the 1964 AFC Asian Cup.
The Calcutta Football League (CFL) is a ladder-based football competition in the Indian state of West Bengal, organised by Indian Football Association (WB) as part of the state leagues. It is the oldest football league in Asia.
Aryan Football Club is an Indian professional multi-sports club based in Kolkata, West Bengal, known predominantly for its association football section. The club competes in the Calcutta Football League, oldest league in Asia.
The Kolkata Derby is the football match in Kolkata, between East Bengal and Mohun Bagan. The rivalry between these two teams is over 100 years old, and the matches witnessed large audience attendance and rivalry between patrons. It is considered to be one of the biggest Asian footballing rivalry. The first match was played on 8 August 1921 in Cooch Behar Cup and latest match of this historical derby was played on 3rd September 2023 in Durand Cup. The Kolkata Derby is considered to be greatest derby in Asian Football and also one of the biggest derbies in the world.
Biswajit Bhattacharya is a retired Indian professional footballer and football manager. He most recently managed Calcutta Football League club Calcutta Customs and is the current head coach of West Bengal football team.
Subrata Bhattacharya is an Indian football manager and former professional footballer. He primarily played as a defender for India national team and spent seventeen years playing for Mohun Bagan. He was the stopper back for Mohun Bagan during 1975 IFA Shield final when East Bengal beat Mohun Bagan 5–0, the biggest ever margin in the Kolkata Derby. He won Indian National Football League for two times as a coach of Mohun Bagan. He was conferred with the Arjuna Award in 1989.
George Telegraph Sports Club is an Indian multisports club based in Kolkata, West Bengal, that competes in the Calcutta Football League, the top tier state football league in West Bengal. The club plays all their home matches at the Rabindra Sarobar Stadium. They have also competed in the I-League 2nd Division, the second tier of Indian football league system.
Shyam Thapa is a retired Indian footballer who played for the India national football team and was the bronze-medallist at the 1970 Asian Games. He later went on to manage the Nepal national football team. Coached by P. K. Banerjee, Thapa became one of the finest and aggressive strikers of the country during the 1970s, known for his bicycle-kicks.
Sports in West Bengal has its own importance. Cricket and football are the most popular sports in the Indian state of West Bengal.
Peerless Sports Club, or simply Peerless, is an Indian professional football club based in Kolkata, West Bengal. Founded in 1993, the club is owned by Peerless Group and currently competes in the Calcutta Premier Division A.
