Civic reception to Ganguly

KOLKATA, December 13: The metropolis on Thursday gave a warm but chaotic civic reception to Sourav Ganguly for his series-winning performance against Pakistan.
Several thousand admirers of the former Indian captain gathered around the open stage at the Millennium Park on the banks of river Hooghly, as West Bengal's ministers sang paeans to the cricketer.
The venue soon seemed too small to accommodate the large crowd which poured in from the city and neighbouring districts.
The organisers' failure to make proper arrangements for the media added to the chaos. A large number of people returned home disappointed as they were unable to catch a glimpse of their favourite cricketer, who was adjudged Player of the Series for his performance against Pakistan.
Media persons were left to jostle for space with the public and a photo journalist later alleged that he was beaten up by commandos protecting the cricket star.
Amid the confusion, the start of the programme got delayed prompting Ganguly to make a request for sanity to be restored.
Mayor Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya's brief concluding address summed up the state of affairs. "I appeal to everybody to be careful so that they can leave the venue with their bones intact."
During the function, organised jointly by the Kolkata Municipal Corporation and the Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority, Ganguly was presented bouquets by the mayor and other dignitaries while a silver plaque was handed over to him by state industries minister Nirupam Sen.
Former Bengal cricketer Gopal Bose presented Ganguly with a photograph showing him jumping in joy after completing his first international hundred at the Eden Gardens during the second Test against Pakistan earlier this month.
The citation, read out by poet Subodh Sarkar, described Ganguly as the 'pride of the state' and recalled his months of struggle to return to the Indian team after being unceremoniously dropped in late 2005.
"We felt pain during your days of sorrow. We have watched with awe the way you immersed yourself in rigorous practice casting aside the disappointment of being left out of the team."
"You have reached the pinnacle of success with your batting. We wish you before your 100th Test appearance in Melbourne from December 26. We congratulate you for scoring a thousand plus runs in 2007," it said.
State Municipal Affairs Minister Ashok Bhattacharya hoped many more runs will flow out of Ganguly's blade in the coming months.
In his speech, Ganguly wished success to all sportspersons of the state.
"I wish every sportsperson - footballers, cricketers, hockey players and also those proficient in other disciplines - success. I hope they will be able to excel in their chosen fields."
Referring to the Bengal cricketers present on the occasion, Ganguly said "I wish them more success."
After the function, Ganguly was almost mobbed by the sports lovers and security personnel had a trying time in helping him to his car.