What Bengal's New Political Fabric Could Mean for the State's Sporting Circuit

Before the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power, the majority of sporting associations were run by people associated with the Trinamool Congress (TMC)

On the 4th of May, the 15-year reign of West Bengal’s Mamata Banerjee and her party, Trinamool Congress, came to an end as the BJP secured a historic victory in the state for the first time. Now that the dust has settled, how could the BJP’s victory impact West Bengal’s sporting circuit? After all, like employment and women's safety, sports are important issues because they not only create winning athletes but also create jobs and help India become the soft power in world sports it is trying to be.

What happens to football?

Let’s be honest, football in both West Bengal and India is heading in a poor direction. The ISL is struggling; so is the national team, but in the last few months, West Bengal has drawn negativity, thanks to the mismanagement of the Messi tour and the involvement of people in Bengal’s football associated with the TMC.

Let’s begin with Diamond Harbour Football Club, a team owned by TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee. Established in 2020, the team has done well in the last six years, reaching the Duran Cup final in 2025 but losing the game. What happens to the club?

On the other hand, what happens to East Bengal, a club whose principal sponsor Emami was brought in by Bengal’s former chief minister Mamata Banerjee?

Kalyan Chaubey, the AIFF president and BJP leader, has pledged to uplift sports in Bengal. He also added, “Bengal never hosted a Khelo India event, which could have helped development in infrastructure. The outgoing government spent around crores in doles to para clubs in the last 15 years. That could have been spent on sports. I am promising more India matches from now on,” as quoted by the Telegraph Online.

Sports development in other states

Be it football, cricket, or other sports, there is no doubt that Bengali talent in sporting circles has decreased over the years. Whether it's the cricket team, football, or the Olympics, how many local talents from Bengal or the Bengali community are establishing their names??

On the other hand, Bihar has increased its budget for sports to nearly INR 500 crore, whereas in Odisha it is close to INR 1,000 crore. Not only investments, but also the states have also hosted international tournaments such as the Hero Men’s Hockey Asia Cup Rajgir, Bihar 2025, and the FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup 2023, Bhubaneswar–Rourkela.

There is definitely an opportunity for Bengal to bring back international sports to the state, ranging from Test matches at the Eden Gardens to other international sports tournaments in fields such as hockey, chess, badminton and more.

Messy Messi Tour

Recently, West Bengal received negative global attention due to the mismanagement of the Messi India tour held at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata. The incident played against the outgoing political party, as Messi’s appearances in other states were handled with care. Not to forget, the INR 22 crore still sitting in the event management company's frozen account has yet to be returned to those who purchased tickets. Such management of football’s biggest global star did not sit well with football fans of the state who probably voted against TMC. After all, Aroop Biswas, who was the state’s sports minister, lost his seat in Kolkata’s Tollygunge.

Sports as a political tool

Last but not least, one must not forget how the BJP used the Narendra Cup as a political tool to reach over 1 lakh footballers in the state, whereas a separate cricket tournament was organised to reach women cricketers.

Undoubtedly, all of Bengal's sporting bodies will undergo a leadership change. The question is, will the new heads work to uplift Bengal athletes not only for their betterment but also to prove that the new party is better than the previous one?

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