Sourav Ganguly steps down as ATK Mohun Bagan Director to avoid conflict of interest
Sourav Ganguly has decided to step down as ATK Mohun Bagan Director to avoid conflict of interest as the football club is owned by RP Sanjiv Goenka Ventures. RPSG acquired the new Lucknow-based IPL franchise for 7090 crores on Monday, October 25, and will be a part of the IPL from the next edition.
ATK Mohun Bagan is a Kolkata-based Football club owned by RPSG chairperson Sanjiv Goenka and co-owned by Ganguly and Utsav Parekh. As the company has acquired the Lucknow-based franchise in IPL, Ganguly decided to step down as ATK Mohun Bagan's Director to avoid further allegations and conflict. The former India captain confirmed to Cricbuzz that he has relinquished his position.
"I have resigned," Ganguly told Cricbuzz on Wednesday after reports emerged about his conflicted position by virtue of being the BCCI president as well as a director of a company that owns an IPL franchise.
Meanwhile, the founder of the Indian Premier League Lalit Modi has questioned the process of buying an IPL team, saying that now a betting company can own a team in the tournament.
"I guess betting companies can buy an IPL team, must be a new rule. Apparently one qualified bidder also owns a big betting company. What next? Does BCCI not do its homework? What can Anti-Corruption do in such a case (sic)?," the League founder tweeted on Tuesday, October 26.
The CVC Capitals acquired the Ahmedabad-based franchise which also owns a betting and gaming company named Sky Betting, based in the UK.