‘Meaningless and bizarre’: Sports Minister Nisith Pramanik announces removal of controversial Yuva Bharati statue

A statue that has puzzled Kolkata football fans for nearly a decade may finally disappear from the Salt Lake Stadium premises. Sports minister Nisith Pramanik announced that the controversial structure installed outside the Yuva Bharati Krirangan during the FIFA U-17 World Cup in 2017 will soon be removed, reigniting debate over one of the city’s most criticised football installations.

FIFA U-17 World Cup legacy faces renewed debate

The controversial statue outside the VVIP gate of the Yuva Bharati Krirangan in Salt Lake has once again become the centre of discussion after Sports Minister Nishith Pramanik announced that it would soon be removed.

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The statue is from the feet to the waist. The Biswa Bangla logo is placed on it. There has been a storm of controversy about this statue since the beginning. Former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee herself designed this statue. This huge statue was built just outside the stadium. 'Joyi' is written on the ball of the foot. Although many could not find the meaning of this statue. There was anger about this statue from the beginning among the supporters of the three main teams of the ground - East Bengal, Mohun Bagan and Mohammedan.

Nisith Pramanik hints at a replacement with a football icon

Nisith Pramanik visited the Salt Lake Stadium on Sunday to watch the ISL derby between East Bengal and Mohun Bagan. After the match, he confirmed during a press meet that the statue would not remain outside the stadium for long. Nishith told reporters, "Such a strange statue, a football on a cut leg. I think the bad days of the previous government began after this statue was installed. Then the Messi incident happened, and the government left."

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He also added, "We are definitely not going to keep a statue that has no meaning; we will change it."

The announcement received support from several football fans present at the stadium. Many supporters said they would prefer statues of iconic footballers instead. Names such as Bhaichung Bhutia and Sunil Chhetri were suggested, while some also proposed installing statues of globally recognised football legends to reflect Kolkata’s football heritage better.