While
Bollywood
biggies
may
flaunt
their
new-found
status
as
football
team
owners,
Happy
New
Year
actor
Shahrukh
Khan
has
revealed
how
he
refused
to
be
a
part
of
the
Indian
Super
League
(ISL)
for
not
being
able
to
lay
hands
on
the
team
from
his
beloved
Kolkata.
Superstar
Shahrukh
Khan,
who
co-owns
Indian
Premier
League
(IPL)
team
Kolkata
Knight
Riders
(KKR),
expressed
his
regret
about
his
inability
to
own
the
city
franchise
for
the
high-profile
football
tournament,
which
has
stars
like
Abhishek
Bachchan,
Ranbir
Kapoor,
Hrithik
Roshan
and
John
Abraham
as
team
co-owners.
"It's
very
unfortunate
and
sad
for
me...I
very
much
wanted
to
be
part
of
the
ISL
and
own
a
football
team.
But
there
was
no
way
that
I
would
have
Kolkata.
And
if
I
can't
have
Kolkata,
then
I
am
not
playing
football
for
any
other
city
or
state," said
Shahrukh
whose
Happy
New
Year
movie
is
running
successfully
at
the
Box
Office.
The
actor,
who
is
the
brand
ambassador
of
West
Bengal,
revealed
how
he
tried
to
persuade
people
to
allow
him
to
bid
for
city
Kolkata
franchise,
which
eventually
went
to
a
consortium
comprising,
among
others,
former
team
India
and
KKR
skipper
Sourav
Ganguly.
Owned
by
Kolkata
Games
and
Sports
Pvt.
Ltd,
the
Kolkata
franchise
has
been
christened
Atletico
de
Kolkata.
"I
remember,
I
met
everyone
but
could
not
get
Kolkata.
I
was
offered
every
other
team
but
I
said
no
I
don't
want
it.
If
I
don't
get
Kolkata
as
the
football
team,
then
I
don't
want
to
play
football
in
my
life," said
Shahrukh
on
a
whirlwind
trip
to
the
city
on
Wednesday
to
promote
his
latest
Bollywood
release
Happy
New
Year.
A
self-confessed
football
fan,
Shahrukh
said
he
took
to
IPL
because
he
was
told
the
cricket
league
would
subsequently
diversify
to
football.
"I
took
to
IPL
because
I
was
told
that
it
will
later
extend
into
soccer
and
I
love
football.
If
you
love
football,
you
have
to
play
for
Kolkata
and
no
other
city.
All
my
love
to
Mumbai
because
I
am
from
there,
my
love
to
Delhi
because
I
was
born
there
but
the
team
to
back
is
Kolkata," said
Shahrukh
calling
Kolkata
his
'home
town'.
While
sad
at
not
to
have
owned
it,
Shahrukh
asserted
that
the
Kolkata
team
was
in
more
deserving
hands
of
Ganguly.
"Even
today
when
I
was
flying
down
here,
I
felt
sad
that
I
don't
have
Kolkata.
But
it
is
in
better
hands
than
me
when
Dada
(Ganguly)
is
doing
it.
Dada
is
more
deserving
and
I
wish
him
and
rest
of
the
owners
all
the
best
and
hope
they
win
the
championship," said
Happy
New
Year
actor
and
co-producer
Shahrukh
Khan.
IANS