Age no bar for this Russia-bound, football-crazy Kolkata couple

Football as a sport is a passion for a Bengali couple, living in Kolkata, and this passion has surpassed all levels for this senior couple. Pannalal Banerjee and Chaitali Banerjee, aged 85 and 75 respectively, are a couple who have been chasing the football World Cup since 1982.

They have explained the circumstances that led to this passion. According to the elderly couple, they were at a friend’s place in London in 1982 when they came up with a plan to visit Spain for a World Cup match. They enjoyed it so much that they have attended every World Cup ever since.

The countries that they have visited in this process are Spain in 1982, Mexico in 1986, Italy in 1990, United States of America in 1994, France in 1998, South Korea and Japan in 2002, Germany in 2006, South Africa in 2010 and Brazil in 2014. The couple will be visiting Russia for their tenth appearance at the FIFA WC 2018 event.

The couple shared the fact that they had to make a lot of sacrifices for their eternal love for football. They said that they had also set up a World Cup Fund which they have never compromised with in spite of missing vacations, refusing to eat expensive food at restaurants and many more everyday sacrifices.

Chaitali Chatterjee has also shared her favourite moment on the field which was watching Diego Maradona bamboozle the English defence to score one of the greatest goals ever at the 1986 World Cup. She also said that she is a Brazil fan and football flowed into her veins, while the couple was also felicitated by FIFA at the 2017 U19 FIFA World Cup at the Salt Lake Stadium.

The Russian Consulate has also promised the elderly couple to help them with all facilities and support that is required at the World Cup this summer so they can continue their wonderful journey.

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