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While Mohun Bagan will enter the Indian Super League this season, the Mariners had secured the I-League title for the 2019-20 season, just before the country was thrown into lockdown courtesy of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Reports from the club suggest that a felicitation ceremony has been arranged for the club at the Hyatt Hotel in Kolkata, where the trophy will be handed over to the Mohun Bagan players and coaching staff. In addition to this, there has also been a procession planned by the club and the supporters, starting from the Hyatt Regency to the Mohun Bagan Ground.
A statement released by the club read:
"The much awaited Hero I-League trophy presentation ceremony will be held on Sunday, October 18, 2020, 11.00 AM onwards at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, Kolkata. Shri Aroop Biswas, the Hon’ble Minister of PWD, Youth Services and Sports has given his valued consent to be the chief guest of the event. Mr. Sunando Dhar, the CEO of the I-League will be present on behalf of the All India Football Federation on the day."
"The trophy will be handed over to the players and coaches, who are available in Kolkata, in the presence of our club president Shri Swapan Sadhan Bose and all the executive committee members. The event will start off with the champion's song followed by an audio-visual presentation of the 2019-20 I-League season," the statement concluded.
I-League 2019-20: A very successful season for Mohun Bagan
With 12 wins in 16 matches in the I-League, the Mariners secured the title by a country mile, winning by a margin of 16 points. In fact, barring the 4-2 home loss at the hands of Churchill Brothers, the club went unbeaten till the 10th of March, a streak that saw just two draws.
The final four fixtures of the league were cancelled on account of the COVID-19 related lockdown. Kibu Vicuna, the head coach of the Mariners last season, also ensured that the club managed a good showing in domestic cups by finishing 2nd in the Calcutta Football League (CFL), being the runners-up in the Durand Cup and reaching the semifinal of the Sheikh Kamal Cup.
