Kolkata: The West Bengal government has been contemplating taking on board former Indian skipper and ex-president of Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Sourav Ganguly for the official tour of Spain later this month.
Ganguly is likely to accompany Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on a foreign tour. The CM will be leaving for Dubai on September 12 to bring foreign investments to the state. From there, the West Bengal chief minister will embark on a journey to Spain.
In November, the World Bengal Trade Conference is scheduled to take place in the state. Sourav Ganguly is likely to be the travel companion of the Chief Minister for the tour of the European country. According to sources in the administration, the West Bengal government has extended an invitation to Sourav Ganguly to accompany Mamata Banerjee on a trip to Spain.
Sourav Ganguly had been to Spain several times in connection with earlier business ventures that were related to ATK Kolkata. The ATK franchise of the Indian Super League (ISL) was owned by Kolkata Games and Sports Private Limited — comprising Sourav Ganguly, businessmen Harshavardhan Neotia, Sanjiv Goenka, and Utsav Parekh. Spanish La Liga Club Atlético Madrid was also a co-owner for the first three seasons of the ISL, but later Goenka took up the shares owned by Atlético Madrid.
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Sourav Ganguly will be accompanying Mamata Banerjee for the foreign trip has not been officially announced by the government, though. However, according to state secretariat Nabanna sources, Ganguly can be part of Mamata's itinerary during her trip to the European country.
According to sources privy to Ganguly, he is currently in London. The former BCCI president's daughter Sana recently graduated in economics and her convocation ceremony is scheduled to take place on September 6. Ganguly is all set to attend the event. In this situation, it is not clear whether he will be able to accompany the Chief Minister even if he is invited. "If Ganguly finally accepts the invitation and becomes the Chief Minister's travel companion, he may join her directly in Barcelona," said sources.
