Bagan for world football expo

Come November and football clubs from across the globe will congregate in Dubai for a unique exposition that will provide a platform for exchange of business, trends and ideas in world football.

India's presence at such a forum could be thought of as incongruous, but at least one of the country's top clubs is preparing to grace the occasion.

Mohun Bagan joint secretary Balaram Chowdhury has drawn up plans to be present at 'Soccerex', the two-day world football fair, to be held from November 29.

"We want to showcase Mohun Bagan's history and heritage before the global soccer community," Chowdhury said.

Rival club East Bengal too is considering making an appearance at Soccerex.

"Being the country's top club, we want to be there," said club president Pranab Dasgupta.

At Soccerex, top football clubs like Manchester United and Arsenal, top sports infrastructure companies, consultants and sponsors will be present. The event is expected to generate a handsome volume of business too.

These clubs and companies will set up stalls at the exhibition at their own cost. The All-India Football Federation and Indian Football Association have been asked to participate.

A sports management company that was instrumental in forging the alliance between East Bengal and Leicester City FC wants to assist AIFF in setting up a stall.

Chowdhury hopes to understand and learn the trends in club management and performance improvement followed by the top clubs.