in collaboration with
INDIAN SUPERFANS LEAGUE 2021 & LONDON SHARAD MELA Arbour Park, Slough 22nd August 2021 supported by
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MESSAGE FROM HIGH COMMISSIONER OF INDIA, UK “The incredibly talented Indian diaspora in the UK makes an invaluable contribution in just about every sphere of human activity - particularly in academics, literature, arts, medicine, science, sports, industry, business and the socio-economic progress of the communities in which they live and work. Their contributions are widely appreciated. It gives me great pleasure to note that the Bengal Heritage Foundation has taken the lead in bringing together the diverse communities of the Indian diaspora in the Indian Superfans League UK. It is a very appropriate way to celebrate 75 years of Indian Independence. I look forward to a day when India will proudly rejoice in being represented by Indian origin superstar footballers globally. I congratulate the Bengal Heritage Foundation for their initiative and offer my best wishes to them and to all the participating players for the success of the tournament! May the best team win!”
Gaitri Issar Kumar
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INDIAN SUPERFANS LEAGUE 2021 FA England encourages Just Play. Just Play is for anyone who wants a game of football without the fuss. Casual, inclusive, informal fun with no commitment needed. Fancy a game? Just say. Just Play. Football is all about fun, after all. Keeping this spirit in mind, Bengal Heritage Foundation has been organising an one day casual football tournament since 2018. The first two years involved games between the fans of football giants from Bengal – Mohun Bagan and East Bengal. Given the encouragement of the High Commission of India, the tournament was expanded to include all communities and named the Indian Superfans League UK (ISL UK). The tournament was encouraged by the support from the ISL clubs ATK Mohun Bagan, FC Goa, Kerala Blasters, Mumbai City FC, Odisha FC and SC East Bengal.
It was the first big event for the Indian diaspora post the lifting of Covid restrictions in UK.
9 GAMES
FA
31
ACCREDITED
FIELD GOALS
6 ISL CLUBS AND THEIR FAN TEAMS INVOLVED
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INDIAN SUPERFANS LEAGUE – THE 6 SUPERFANS TEAMS (1/2)
ATK MOHUN BAGAN SUPERFANS Established on 15th August 1889, Mohun Bagan Athletic Club is one of the oldest clubs. In 2020, ATK Mohun Bagan FC is formed from Football section of Mohun Bagan AC and ATK FC. 80% of the club is owned by ATK Mohun Bagan Private Limited, which consists of Dr. Sanjiv Goenka, Mr. Utsav Parekh and former Indian cricketer, Mr. Sourav Fan Ganguly. Official Club : ATK Mohun Bagan Fan Club
FC GOA SUPERFANS
KERALA BLASTERS SUPERFANS
FC Goa is an Indian professional football franchise based in Goa that competes in the Indian Super League. The club was launched on 26th August 2014 and has over 1.2Mn fans. The club is owned by Goan Football Club Pvt. Ltd. which consists of Mr. Jaydev Mody, Mr. Akshay Tandon and Indian Cricket team captain, Mr. Virat Kohli.
Kerala Blasters FC was founded on 27th May 2014 as one of the 8 Indian Super League teams and are 2 time ISL finalists. The club is under the ownership of Magnum Sports Private Limited, including Mr. Nimmagadda Prasad, Mr. Chiranjeevi, Mr. Allu Arvind, and Mr. Nikhil Bhardwaj.
Official Fan Club : FC Goa Fan Club
Official Fan Club : Manjappada
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INDIAN SUPERFANS LEAGUE – THE 6 SUPERFANS TEAMS (2/2)
MUMBAI CITY FC SUPERFANS
ODISHA FC SUPERFANS
SC EAST BENGAL SUPERFANS
Mumbai City Football Club is a Mumbai based Indian professional football club that competes in the Indian Super League. The club was founded in August 2014 during the inaugural season of the Indian Super League (ISL). The club is owned by the City Football Group (CFG), Mr. Ranbir Kapoor and Mr. Bimal Parekh
Odisha FC represents the beautiful state of Odisha and was established in 2019 in a partnership with the Government of Odisha. The Club has tied up with Spanish legend, David Villa’s DV7 group as its Technical Partner. The Club is solely owned by the GMS group.
Sporting Club East Bengal was founded in 1920 and is one of India's most successful and glamorous clubs. SC East Bengal joined the Indian Super League as the 11th Team in 2020. The club is owned by Shree Cement East Bengal Foundation which consists of Shree Cement Ltd and East Bengal Club Pvt. Ltd
Official Fan Club : West Coast Brigade
Official Fan Club : The Juggernauts
Official Fan Club : East Bengal Real Power (EBRP)
INDIAN SUPERFANS LEAGUE – THE GAMES
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INDIAN SUPERFANS LEAGUE – THE FINALE
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INDIAN SUPERFANS LEAGUE – THE FINALE
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INDIAN SUPERFANS LEAGUE – FEEDBACK (1/2) We welcomed the first ever Indian Superfans league to Arbour Park presented by Bengal Heritage Foundation.
The #ISLUK2021 tournament was won by Odisha FC on penalties.
The Bengal Heritage Foundation need to be commended for organising such an enjoyable event. Football, culture and an opportunity to meet so many people the event certainly lived up to its hype.
Slough Town FC
Raj Athwal, President, Odisha FC
Fantastic event, the boys enjoyed the day and it gave them a taste of how different communities and cultures are united in the passion for the game of football. The Indian community knows how to do community.
Steve Curties, Manager, Mumbai FC Superfans
8 Football is definitely a global unifying force and this was certainly the case when I attended the inaugural Indian Superfans League. The traction on social media and the supporters in the ground were filled with families proved not only the love for football but the pull of Indian Superfans League, I will be definitely supporting the tournament going forward.
Bobby Mudhar, Director, FA Bedfordshire
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INDIAN SUPERFANS LEAGUE – FEEDBACK (2/3) I have nothing but praise for the whole event… It was fabulous to see so many spectators and participants…The event ran to time, and culminated in speeches, a children’s dance, national anthems and award ceremony… I am delighted it was such an astounding success.
Referees’ Report
We are delighted to learn that Bengal Heritage Foundation is organising Indian Superfans League in the UK, the biggest fan football carnival. We are happy to be a part of it and lend our full support to the event. We wish the event all success.
Col. Shivaji Samaddar CEO, SC East Bengal
ISL UK 2021 has been a one of its kind event and this is the first time the Indian Footballing diaspora in UK came together that included 6 ISL teams. East Bengal the Real Power Fans Association will always remain grateful to Bengal Heritage Foundation… We thank one and all for organising this event and making this a grand success. We are sure that many more editions of ISL UK will be witnessed Indian Football Fanatics.
Rabi Shankar Sen East Bengal the Real Power
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INDIAN SUPERFANS LEAGUE – FEEDBACK (3/3) This is a great initiative to promote Indian Football abroad and also to bring Indian football enthusiasts together. We are looking forward to this interesting tournament with a lot of fan engagement.
West Coast Brigade Mumbai City FC Fan Club
Kudos to the Organisers, Bengal Heritage Foundation, for coming out with a brilliant programme creating a festive as well as a competitive atmosphere...This idea will definitely warm the cockles of Indian diasporas' hearts... There were many who followed the tournament on social media... All the teams played their hearts out to get a favourable result, providing the spectators as well as those watching from home, an exciting and memorable occasion to cheer.
ISL UK 2021 was a great step in promoting Indian Football and providing a platform to put the Indian Football loving fraternity together. We would like to congratulate the organisers and would love to be part of tournaments in the future.
Manjappada Kerala Blasters Fan Club Clinton Fernandes Captain, FC Goa Fan Club
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LONDON SHARAD MELA 2021 The setting of autumn signifies the start of festive season in Bengal. The largest festival for the Bengali diaspora is the Durga Puja – celebrated in London at Ealing Town Hall every year with respect and fanfare. The four day event is known as London Sharad Utsav. People from all communities join in for the four day festivity.
The diaspora starts preparing for the event by readying cultural events and also restocking the wardrobe. Shopping is an integral part of the preparation. Bengal Heritage Foundation conducts the Sharad Mela every year by bringing together small and medium businesses together under one umbrella to enable the community to shop and get ready for Durga Puja.
17 COMMUNITY STALLS + 2 ONSITE VENDORS
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LONDON SHARAD MELA – STALLS (1/6)
CALCUTTA RESCUE
CHASKA
CRYSTERA CUTLERY
A charity which runs medical, educational and support services to disadvantaged people in West Bengal. It also imparts vocational training to ex-patients and underprivileged people.
Mouthwatering chaats and sweets
Silver Cutlery
Contact : Annie
Mobile : 07926225171
Contact : Jack Preger Mobile : 07908213511
Mobile : 07468463994
Contact : Tripti
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LONDON SHARAD MELA – STALLS (2/6)
DELHI JUNCTION
ELIKA’S CREATION
Restaurant and Catering serving traditional & contemporary Indian cuisine from North & South India.
Handmade items for Home Decor
Contact : Rahul Mobile : 07921250848
ICICI BANK UNITED KINGDOM
Banking
Contact : Elika
Contact : Manish
Mobile : 07405304812
Mobile : 07476535333
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LONDON SHARAD MELA – STALLS (3/6)
LOVE FOR SAREES
MEENA FASHION
MILLI’S COUTURE
We dwell deep into our rich culture to bring out some of the finest weavers craftsmanship. Pure Kanjeevarams, Kanchi Cottons and Gadwals are our speciality. We also collab with Benarasi, Paithani weavers and other fine weaves too.
Soft silk sarees, jute silk sarees, soft linen sarees, Georgette sarees, ready made blouses both festive and party wear, ladies and kids dresses and Pooja and decor items, and Kemp stone Jewellery.
Kids wear, Sarees, Bags, Jewellery
Contact : Rahul Mobile: 07904850931/07540255062
Contact : Meena Mobile : 07440257686
Contact : Soumili Mobile : 07424623522
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LONDON SHARAD MELA – STALLS (4/6)
POTS N CLAY
PAINTING FACE
SILVERART
Ceramic making and Painting.
Face Painting with Colours and Glitters.
Handcrafted Silver and Gemstone Jewellery
Contact : BHF LADIES
Contact : Nilanjana
Contact : Nivedha Mobile : 07903166824
Mobile : 07921237014
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LONDON SHARAD MELA – STALLS (5/6)
TITHI’S CRAFT AND FASHION
TRENDY CHOLI
VISHU DESIGNERS
Tithi’s Craft and Fashion was born out of a passion and love for elegance and style. Explore our exclusive collection of hand-crafted jewelleries, sarees , men’s and children’s ethnic wear. A perfect combination of elegance tradition and simplicity.
Jewellery, Sari, Designer Bouses, Men's Kurta & Dupatta.
All Indian ethnic and Indo- western wear for entire family, all at one place. Specialised for ready to wear sarees with stitched blouses, designer sarees, Lehangas, Bridal and party wear, Frocks, Long Gowns, Kids wear, full customisation
Contact : Poushali Mobile : 07931759194
Contact : Suklatithi
Contact : Vishali
Mobile : 07712672842
Mobile : 07448855059
LONDON SHARAD MELA – STALLS (6/6)
TATTOO FOR KIDS
UTILITY WAREHOUSE
Temporary Tattoo for kids
Multiservice provider- energy, broadband, mobile and home insurance in one
Contact : BHF LADIES
Contact : Ritchard Mobile : 07860169559
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LONDON SHARAD MELA – FEEDBACK What a remarkable day it was yesterday for us!! Many Thanks to the event organiser and all those who were present. You made our visit a pleasant.. and wonderful experience. The hospitality of the Chairperson and the members of the community was outstanding. The similarities in culture and the clothing between our 2 cultures could be strongly felt and made us feel at home.
Love For Sarees
Thank you everyone, it was absolutely pleasure to join in this amazing event. Enjoyed thoroughly. Can’t thank for your encouragement and end to end support. Millis’s Couture It was a very nice experience to showcase my work at London Sharad Mela. On the top of that, meeting with friends was cherry on the cake. Elika’s Creation
Thanks for organising the event during this unprecedented situation. This was my first event that I participated and expecting more to do in future with BHF. Thanks once again guys for supporting me. Meena Fashion
Enjoyed so much, shared laughter and unlimited talks with friends, met new people and very good and satisfying response from everyone. Thank you everyone for your overwhelming response and appreciating my collections
Tithi’s Craft and Fashions
Beautifully organized event by LSUBHF on a Sunday. Well coordinated matches as per schedule. Fair play ensured by neutral referees along with clean dressing rooms. Excellently choreographed dance by the little children. Strategically placed tattoo, pottery and face painting stalls near the children football playing area…. A fully functional bar and ample parking space along with very friendly hosts. Felt homely. Sunbir Sanyal
The event itself was very well organised, highlight being the ISL UK… was broadcasted live…The kids event kept all the little ones entertained and busy… There was a great selection of Indian street food items - from Bhelpuri to..fish fry and Biriyani. Amazing lineup of stalls, offering.. sarees and jewelleries… otherwise difficult to get under the same roof in the UK…We would like to thank all the organisers and volunteers…. wishing them all the very best for future events. Indian Bengalis in UK Team
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SOCIAL MEDIA IMPACT
450k+ 150k+ Impressions
Unique Engagements
10k+ Minutes of videos viewed
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CLOSING THOUGHTS
I was glad to join the first ever Indian Superfans League in person at Slough FC. Well played to all the teams and Congratulations to Odisha FC Superfans for winning the inaugural trophy. It was lovely to see players from Indian diaspora and from the UK fight it out for the beautiful trophy. My wife and I was also thrilled to see the stalls from the Indian diaspora in the London Sharad Mela. It was especially good to most of these stalls were owned by women entrepreneurs. The wares represented Indian handicrafts, sarees and jewellery. We are looking forward to next year’s Indian Superfans League and London Sharad Mela. ROHIT VADHWANA
FIRST SECRETARY
We are glad to be associated with Bengal Heritage Foundation and wish them well for future ISL UK events. Since ICICI Bank UK is an Indian Bank, Indian Diaspora is close to our heart. Hence, along with the UK Banking, we assist our customers with their banking requirements in India. NRI Accounts and Home Loans in India can now be availed from the comfort of home in the UK. We are one of the few banks in the UK, which provides digital account opening, through which a new UK Bank Account can be opened in minutes and be ready to do remittances instantly. Moreover, an individual can open and activate a UK bank account from India, even before reaching UK for their work or study PRATAP SINGH
HEAD – RETAIL BANKING
It was a challenging effort to organise the first Indian Superfans League UK. We took to heart the encouragement from the High Commissioner to organise the football tournament across the communities. The success in such a short time frame would not have been possible with out the support of the High Commission of India, the ISL clubs, our sponsors ICICI Bank and the diaspora. The feedback has been tremendous and we look forward to organise a bigger ISL UK next year with the support of the diaspora.
SOURAV NIYOGI CHAIR OF TRUSTEES