East Bengal Library, Kolkata's Hidden Sports Vault: An abode of Reading, Reminiscing and Redefining Sports Heritage

From the glorious years of East Bengal and Mohun Bagan rivalry to the chronicles of Sourav Ganguly, Virat Kohli - it is not often that you can have the privilege to read both of these gathas in a single place. But for the readers of Kolkata, the East Bengal football club's library offers such an opportunity.

Books are always the best friends of a budding psyche. Often, a quality book not just becomes a way to garner knowledge, but a boon amid adversities.

And when it comes to Sports and Books, the combination is usually a blockbuster. The chronicles of the game, penned in those pages, don't just reverberate the memories, but make one engrossed in the glories of the past as well.

And East Bengal, the Kolkata club, has come up with an extremely rare

opportunity for fans, as their 'Open to All' library possesses some of the rarest of sports-related assets.

East Bengal Football Club's library and museum, opened in 2022 on its Kolkata premises, stands as a vital archive preserving the club's legacy and broader sports history. Housing hundreds of books on Indian football, cricket, international football, and sports medicine, it aids researchers in accessing rare data and facts not easily found elsewhere.

As we looked across the racks, the vast diversity of the books were astonishing. It had some excellent tales of the Kolkata rivalry, while autobiographies of Sir Alex Ferguson, Robert Pires and more remain on the offering. Cricket books related to Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and Virat Kohli feature, while a lineage of Olympics-related publications also provides a fresh opportunity to learn many untold stories about the competition.

While talking with club official Parijat Maitra, MyKhel learned the vast role the library has played in the modern research field, related to sports history and other projects. The official also depicted the battle the club had to fight to erect the edifice, as being close to military settlements makes things tough to build a structure.

"The club had a dream, and it succeeded after a long battle. The military proximity meant we were denied permission many times, but we finally managed to create this building and include our library and museum together. "

The museum, just adjacent to the library, speaks history. From the Asean Cup Championship to rare jerseys, it stores the entire journey of the football club. And on Monday, the latest addition to the trophy cabinet was the SAFF Women's Club Championship, as East Bengal women created history in Nepal.

A dedicated building accommodates both the compact library and trophy museum, displaying silverware from triumphs like I-League titles and Federation Cup wins. Fans visit freely for extended on-site reading, no loans allowed, creating a communal space for nostalgia and study, realizing a longstanding club vision.

Scholars have leveraged its resources for in-depth projects, uncovering obscure match reports and player stats. This has elevated the club's role beyond the pitch, fostering education and heritage preservation in the sports scene.

"People have come from the University of Manchester to research and our library helped in their project. With the library and museum being in close proximity, often the researchers get aid from both. Not just books to read, we also have three daily newspapers here for the readers," Maitra added.

Expansion Vision

Maitra also revealed plans to target more volumes alongside digitization of vintage newspaper clippings chronicling historic games and milestones. Dubbed a "biggee scheme," this upgrade promises online access, boosting global fan engagement and academic utility.

Apart from that, East Bengal is the only Indian sports team to release a bimonthly magazine that encompasses the proceedings at the club.

When is East Bengal Library Open?

The library remains open from 12:30 PM to 8 PM every day except Sunday and holidays. It has an 'Open to All' policy as anyone will have access to read books.

Kolkata, the City of Joy, has long been a cradle of literary legends - from Tagore's timeless verses to the bustling College Street book bazaars that whisper stories of art, intellect, and rebellion. And for sports enthusiasts, East Bengal FC's library emerges as a hidden gem, a pulsating archive where the roar of derbies meets the poetry of cricket icons.