The East Bengal players at the practice session. Picture by Biplab Basak

Siliguri, July 16: Calcutta League champions East Bengal will play in Jalpaiguri town tomorrow after a gap of 15 years.

The football giants will take on Jalpaiguri District Sports Association (DSA) President’s XI in an exhibition match to be played on the Town Club ground. The match is expected to provide football lovers there a rare glimpse of the skills and prowess of the Calcutta side.

The East Bengal team, led by Alvito D’Cunha, reached Jalpaiguri today, accompanied by assistant coach Bikash Panji and team manager Swapan Bal. They held a practice session this evening at the ground. Coach Subrata Bhattacharya is expected to arrive tomorrow morning.

As the team reached Assam More in the town this morning, members of the East Bengal Fans’ Club organised a huge rally and escorted them to their hotel.

“The players will be felicitated in the evening,” said Kaustav Bhattacharjee, an executive body member of the fans’ club. “We are very happy that our favourite team has come to Jalpaiguri.”

“Bengal sports minister Subhas Chakraborty took the initiative to arrange matches between prominent Calcutta clubs and local teams in five districts across the state,” said Anjan Sengupta, the secretary of Jalpaiguri DSA.

Purulia, North 24-Paraganas, Malda and Murshidabad are the other districts where similar exhibition matches will be played. Mohun Bagan Athletic Club and Mohammedan Sporting are the other Calcutta teams likely to feature in these ties.

The sports minister is likely to be present tomorrow, even as the DSA authorities are preparing for a crowd of more than 6,000 people.

Sengupta said the DSA President’s XI would comprise ace players from Jalpaiguri, Siliguri, North Dinajpur and the Sashastra Seema Bal.

“We expect the team to put up stiff opposition tomorrow,” he said.