Ker govt declares two-day mourning in sports sector for Maradona; appeals to people to join
A day after Argentinesoccer legend Diego Maradona died of heart attack in BuenosAires, the Kerala government on Thursday announced a two-daymourning in the states sports sector and appealed to everyonein the fraternity to join as a mark of tribute.
Considered the greatest footballer of all timealongside Brazils Pele, the Argentine player had a great fanfollowing in the football crazy southern state.
As soon as the news of his demise broke, shock anddisbelief gripped hardcore football fans in the stateespecially in Malappuram, which is popularly known as theMecca of Kerala football, who flooded social media platformswith his photos, WhatsApp status and videos.
Announcing the mourning, state sports minister E PJayarajan said the departure of Maradona has saddened footballfans around the world.
“In Kerala also, lakhs of fans could not believe hisdeparture,” he said.
Under these circumstances, the state sports departmentdecided to observe a two-day mourning from Thursday, theminister said and urged the entire sports fraternity to joinin.
The Sports Ministers office later clarified that itwas the Sports Departments appeal to the people in the state,especially sports-lovers and those in the fraternity, to mournthe legendary footballers death.
“There is no cancellation of any event or anythinglike that as part of the mourning announced in the sportssector. It is just an appeal to the general public, sportsbuffs and those in the sports fraternity to mourn the death ofthe legendary footballer,” a staff in the ministers officetold P T I.
However, no sporting events are scheduled due toCOVID-19, he added.
Maradona died following a cardiac arrestat his homein Buenos Aires,two weeks after undergoing a surgery toremove a blood clot in his brain.
The iconic footballer had come to the southern statefor two days in October 2012 on a private event.
For the football fans of the region, it was a god-sent opportunity as they could catch a glimpse of their herofrom close quarters in Kannur.
Such was the craze for the 1986 World Cup winner thatfans had started converging at the stadium three days prior tothe event.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan also expressed griefon Wednesday over the death of Maradona and said his fansaround the world would miss the football legend.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Federal staff and is auto-published from a syndicated feed.)