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Sunil Chhetri and his Bengaluru FC teammates ousted Mumbai City FC in the Durand Cup 2022 final on Sunday, September 18, taking the trophy home for the first time in the club's history. A compact side fielded by Simon Grayson managed to hold their shape for the entire 90 minutes, kicking off their season to a glorious start.
While it was end-to-end stuff on the pitch, an incident occurred during the prize distribution ceremony that left a mark on the proceedings. The governor of West Bengal, Shri La. Ganesan moved Chhetri aside in the midst of the distribution ceremony.
The incident took place when the Bengaluru FC head coach and skipper stepped onto the podium to receive the illustrious Durand Cup trophy.
Here is a clip of the incident:
The incident drew a lot of flak from football fans across the country, signaling outrage at the governor's actions.
Chhetri has been one of the star performers in this edition of the tournament and has played a significant role in the team's glorious Durand Cup campaign.
The final was no different despite Chhetri being deployed outside his natural position. The Blues skipper was handed the responsibility of nullifying Ahmed Jahouh's threat, and he did it to perfection, halting the Islanders' build-up play.
Despite a glorious end to the 131st edition of this coveted age-old tournament, the incident became a talking point for many fans across social media.
Bengaluru FC's Sivasakthi Narayanan and Alan Costa star as the Blues secure their first silverware of the 2022-23 season
Bengaluru FC's young forward Sivasakthi Narayan, who was on song during the entire Durand Cup 2022, drew first blood against an organized Mumbai City FC side.
His goal was followed by a Lalengmawia equalizer in the first half. However, a second-half goal by Brazilian centre-back Alan Costa separated the two sides as the Blues held on until the final whistle.
