Shared News: November 26, 2020 1:01:58 pm
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Maradona during his visit to Kerala in 2012 (Source: Twitter)
Diego Maradona’s love affair with a football has no parallels. If Gary Lineker, an English great in his own right, felt the bond between the two, India’s IM Vijayan saw it, standing right next to the Argentine icon.
One and a half decades of international football, with plenty of success, almost paled in comparison to the few minutes Vijayan got to spend with Maradona.
That is Diego Maradona, that is his impact, said the scorer of one of the fastest goals in competitive football.
The former India captain had the opportunity to meet, play ball and hug one of the world’s greatest sporting stars
during a private event in Kerala a few years ago.
“In 2012 in Kannur, I saw first-hand what football meant to Maradona. As part of festivities, a cake was
designed like a ground with a football on top of it. The moment Maradona saw it, he refused to cut it,” Vijayan
told PTI recalling the incident.
Vijayan, one of India’s greats in the world sport, said that the incident “told me” how much the football and the
ground meant to Maradona who died on Wednesday following a cardiac arrest. He was 60.
“He agreed to cut only the outer part of the cake. I can say that playing two minutes of football with him on the
stage remains one of my biggest achievements in life,” he added.
Argentine soccer legend Diego Maradona,center,arrives in Kannur,Kerala,India. Maradona arrived in the Indias
southernmost state to inaugurate a jewelry showroom and launch the operations of a new private airline service on
wednesday. (AP)
Vijayan also felt Maradona’s outspokenness and childlike enthusiasm may have been the reasons behind the
many problems he encountered in his blessed yet troubled life.
“I always felt he had the heart of a child. And his forthright approach may have created all the problems for him.
“He is open about things and say them as they are, on the face,” Vijayan said.
His death resonated beyond football with sporting icons such as Mike Tyson and Magic Johnson paying rich
tributes and recalling their encounters with the football wizard.
“He may have died but in the hearts of us footballers, he will live on forever. To me, Maradona is God, and God
doesn’t die,” said Vijayan.
RIP God of football 😢 pic.twitter.com/7NO8qlZ5uT
— I M Vijayan (@IMVijayan10) November 25, 2020
“Like so many other footballers across the world and India, I too started playing football after watching him play
in the 1986 World Cup and lift the trophy, almost singlehandedly, with his dazzling game,” he recalled.
Vijayan agreed with Lineker’s description of Maradona’s romance with football — the former English striker
has played against the Argentine in his heydays, including the 1986 World Cup.
“He has such an incredible passion for the game. I have never seen anyone have such a beautiful affection with a
football. Diego is incredible,” Lineker said in a heartfelt tribute, which has gone viral online.
Football-crazy Kerala remembers Maradona
I was in Kerala the year Maradona visited. Malappuram was nothing short of a carnival. What an effect he had across generations! https://t.co/0S9iYayJ7R
— Sai K (@AkriPasta) November 25, 2020
Shock and disbelief gripped football-crazy Kerala as fans recalled Argentine legend Diego Maradona, who died
of a heart attack at his home in Buenos Aires.
Former Indian captain I M Vijayan said it was difficult to believe that the legend was no more.
“It is difficult to believe that he has died,” Vijayan said.
Many others in the state shared Vijayan’s sentiments.
The iconic footballer had visited the southern state for two days in October 2012 for a private event.
For the football-mad fans of the region, it was a god-send opportunity as they could catch a glimpse of their hero
from close quarters in Kannur.
Such was the craze for the 1986 World Cup winner that fans had started converging at the stadium three days
prior to the event.
Charles Antony, who sings in 14 languages, recalled how the “soccer god” hugged and sang along with him a
few spanish songs.
“I have been a musician for 25 years. But I got an identity as a singer when I sang a spanish song in front of
Maradona in Kannur stadium,” he said.
Antony was lucky as he got another opportunity to meet Maradona, in Kolkata, and sing before him.
“I feel his love for music is as important as football in his life,” Antony said.
“He was so humble and meeting him was an unforgettable experience.”
Antony sang a few songs in Italian, Cuban and Spanish and the player hugged and kissed him.
Boby said he was only a fan of Maradona when he met him in Dubai for the first time and only wanted to click a
snap with him. But, over the years, their friendship grew and he could bring him to Kerala.
“As a person, he was innocent. He didn’t have a world away from football,” he said.
