‘Ugly, Grotesque Statue’: Mamata-Designed Football Sculpture To Be Removed From Salt Lake Stadium

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• ‘Ugly, Grotesque Statue’: Mamata-Designed Football Sculpture To Be Removed From Salt Lake Stadium Published By, Last Updated: May 18, 2026, 23:47 IST West Bengal will remove a football sculpture outside Salt Lake Stadium, Sports Minister Nisith Pramanik calls it "grotesque." The statue will be brought down.
• (Image: X) The West Bengal government has decided to remove the football-themed sculpture installed outside Kolkata’s Salt Lake Stadium, with Sports Minister Nisith Pramanik calling the structure “grotesque" and lacking aesthetic appeal.
• The sculpture, conceptualised during the tenure of former chief minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee, was unveiled in 2017 ahead of the FIFA U-17 World Cup.
• Installed near the VVIP gate of the stadium, it featured giant footballing legs merging into the Biswa Bangla logo, with the word “Joyi" written on the football.
• Speaking after the Indian Super League Kolkata derby between Mohun Bagan Super Giant and East Bengal FC ended in...