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EBBU’s take on the Sangita Basfore Saga. The women’s football side of East Bengal continues to stride forward with remarkable consistency, setting standards that are both inspiring and unprecedented in the Indian game. Their progress, however, has not come without its share of hostility. While healthy rivalry is part of sport, the unfortunate reality is that certain sections of the fanbase of a rival club, which has yet to form a women’s team of its own, have chosen to respond not with respect but with disparaging and misogynistic commentary each time East Bengal registers a victory. Such behaviour is unbecoming, unnecessary, and deeply disrespectful to the athletes who have been dedicating themselves to the game. In recent days, this hostility appears to have assumed an even more troubling shape. A known sports outlet has published a piece alleging that Sangita Basfore, one of the stalwarts of East Bengal’s squad, has expressed her desire to one day play for Mohun Bagan, should that club decide to establish a women’s team. The report goes further to claim that Mohun Bagan is her favourite club. Not only does this assertion lack credibility, but it also carries the hallmarks of an attempt to unsettle the East Bengal dressing room at a critical juncture in the season. If such an interview indeed took place, one must ask why no recordings, transcripts, or even authentic clippings have been produced to substantiate the claim. Journalism demands evidence, and the absence of verifiable proof makes the report appear speculative at best and malicious at worst. The attempt to plant seeds of doubt and discord through media manipulation is not unfamiliar in football, but it remains as shameful as ever. But if there's enough valid proof of such interaction with the player and the player has stated anything which ultimately disrespects the values of the club and its supporters, then we recommend the club should immediately take a disciplinary action against the player. EBBU, as a Forum, has chosen to condemn this episode in the strongest terms. The women’s side is preparing for the group stages of the AFC Champions League, a historic moment for both the team and Indian women’s football. At such a crucial stage, any effort to create distractions or inject unnecessary controversy reflects poorly not just on the outlet in question but on the larger football fraternity. The rise of East Bengal’s women’s team should be a moment of pride for the city, for Bengal, and for the sport in this country. To attempt to tarnish their reputation through baseless claims is not merely unfair-it is an affront to the integrity of the game. It is high time the fraternity recognised that women’s football in India deserves dignity, respect, and unqualified support, rather than petty politics and cynical ploys. #EBBU #JoyEastBengal