After a decade of setbacks, John Abraham’s football team NorthEast United wins maiden Durand Cup title

John Abraham Pic/X

While John Abraham faced box office failure with his film ‘Vedaa' which was released on Independence Day, he sprung back up on the professional front, but this time in the sports arena after his football team NorthEast United FC clinched its maiden Durand Cup in a thrilling final against defending champions Mohun Bagan Super Giant at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata. It is their first-ever silverware in Indian football. NorthEast United received a winning prize of Rs 60,00,000 while Rs 30,00,000 was awarded to Mohun Bagan Super Giant.

John Abraham speaks about NorthEast United FC's loss over a decade

The club was founded in 2013 and has been backed by John Abraham since then. It represents the 8 states of North East India, consisting of Assam, Nagaland, Manipur, Meghalaya, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura and Mizoram. John's wife Priya Runchal is the chairperson of the club. In an earlier interview with Ranveer Allahbadia, John spoke about the state of football in India and shared, "Bureaucracy has destroyed Indian football. But every year I face a huge loss. I am an individual owner and all the other teams are owned by multi-billion dollar corporates. So it is very difficult for me to compete. I want to present my football team with a lot of pride. I feel bad and nearly cry when we keep losing. I love this football team and I've created it from scratch. I hope the government backs me."

Netizens react as John Abraham's football team scripts history

Netizens are in awe of John Abraham backing the team despite a decade of setbacks. Many took to social media and lauded the actor for standing by them throughout. Check out the reactions below.

John Abraham's acting front

John Abraham was recently seen in the intense action-thriller 'Vedaa', which also stars Sharvari and Tamannaah Bhatia. Helmed by Nikkhil Advani, the film is described as a "powerful story of resilience and the indomitable human spirit." It follows the journey of a young woman, Vedaa (Sharvari), who dares to challenge the status quo. Her fight for justice is fuelled by the unwavering support of a former soldier (John) who becomes her shield and her weapon.