Durand Cup 2023 final: Fans kept waiting in line and tickets vanished in a day?

Durand Cup 2023 final will see the second Kolkata derby taking place at the iconic Yuba Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata. Both teams tied for 16 titles in the tournament history will look for bragging rights against each other in the final. The excitement and tension all around Kolkata are at its peak. But, how to watch it when the tickets got vanished?

Right after Mohun Bagan Super Giant won their semi-final against FC Goa by 2-1, fans knew it would be hard to find a ticket for the biggest match of the season so far; the second Kolkata derby and the Durand Cup 2023 final. So, what do they do? As per news, some of the fans went to Mohun Bagan and East Bengal ground the next morning at about 4 am to be the first in the queue. That's the craze and love for Kolkata football that still keeps these two clubs as the most loved in the country.

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On online tickets for the Durand Cup 2023 final

Durand Committee had announced that the tickets for the derby will be sold offline in three days; 1st and 2nd September from 11 am to 6 pm and 10 am to 3 pm on 3rd September. The graphics banner was ready and the Durand Committee did not waste time publishing it on their social media handles as soon as the second semi-final was over. As per the reports, a total of 30,000 tickets were made available for the fans; 15000 each for East Bengal and Mohun Bagan.

Read Also: East Bengal vs Mohun Bagan: Head to Head Stats

Some fans were in a hurry and some thought, okay, we will get them on the second day. But, as the fans kept waiting, on the evening of 1st September itself it was announced that, tickets were sold out and no more tickets would be available for the fans.

However, as we saw and reported the whole day from East Bengal and Mohun Bagan ground it was quite clear that most of the fans waiting for tickets in the queue were not able to buy the tickets. The line for the tickets was as slow as a turtle on sand. Many of the fans went back home after being in the line for more than five hours.

Fans kept getting frustrated as the queue moved slowly

It was hot and humid in Kolkata with no cloud and wind whatsoever. Some fans even started feeling dizzy due to the weather but with a water bottle at their rescue, they looked for a ticket for the Durand Cup 2023 final. But the line did not move at all. At one point, the line in front of the Mohun Bagan ground went past the Eden Gardens, as we saw more than a thousand people waiting for the tickets.

Even after the day was over, it was quite obvious that nowhere close to the proposed number of tickets were handed to the fans and many East Bengal and Mohun Bagan fans felt angry, disappointed and betrayed after the announcement of a houseful on Sunday. Few fans are hopeful of getting the tickets from ticket black marketers while some are still in the sadness about not being able to watch the biggest match of Indian football from the stands. A Few kept asking why the tickets were not sold online but without getting any clarification from the Durand committee.