I-League 2017: 68,000 tickets for East Bengal vs Mohun Bagan game, 15,000 already sold out

What's the story?

The storied rivalry between East Bengal and Mohun Bagan has long been considered Indian football's best ever, with massive crowds streaming into stadiums in the West Bengal capital. The fixture has brought with some incredible moments over the years and has often decided which side the pendulum would swing to, in terms of the title race. This time around too, the Kolkata derby is all set for a gripping encounter.

Amid fears that the Indian Super League (ISL) would snatch viewers from the I-League, it has come to light that much of the tickets assigned by Mohun Bagan for the game have been sold out with 15,000 being booked already and plenty expected to be sold once the offline counters roll into play on Thursday.

In case you didn't know...

This particular Kolkata derby encounter will be hosted by Mohun Bagan, and the game will be watched by around 68,000 people if the entire stadium is sold out. This match will be held at the colossal Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata, where the FIFA U-17 World Cup final was also held.

The heart of the matter

The showdown between East Bengal and Mohun Bagan is almost always expected to garner massive audiences but this time around there was the added inclusion of the ISL, which is running simultaneously with the I-League, raising concerns over the attendance.

However, as 15,000 tickets have already been sold out, it does not seem as though the Mariners will have any trouble in filling up the stadium, for the Derby at least.

In the interest of sportsmanship, Mohun Bagan have also announced a special offer for East Bengal membership holders, where the owners of such membership will receive free tickets for the game.