Victorious East Bengal team returns

Kolkata:

Ecstatic scenes were witnessed at the N S C Bose International airport as the East Bengal team, conquerors of the Asean Cup at Jakarta, arrived in Kolkata. Cheers like "Baichung Baichung" and "Three Cheers for East Bengal' rent the air, as over 10,000 fans thronged the international terminal. The team arrived on a Singapore Airlines flight at 10:40 pm. Important state dignitaries including West Bengal Sports Minister Subhas Chakraborty, Urban Development Minister Asok Bhattacharya and Fire Services Ministers Pratim Chatterjee were present at the airport to welcome the squad members. AIFF President Priya Ranjan Das Munshi was also present to receive the players. Members of the triumphant squad including prolific scorer Baichung Bhutia, Alvito D'Cunha, Mike Okoro, Douglas, Suley Musah, Sasthi Duley and Surkumar were received with much aplomb. East Bengal became the first Indian club to win an international tournament on foreign soil when they beat favourites BEC Tero Sasana of Thailand 3-1 to lift the ASEAN championship on Saturday. (PTI)