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Will Messi come to Kerala? Sports minister provides fresh update on Argentina team's visit
Lionel Messi and the Argentina football team's visit to Kerala has come under the cloud after contradicting statements coming from all corners. Kerala's Sports Minister V Abdurahiman has now issued a fresh remark regarding the tour. read more
Kerala's Sports Minister V Abdurahiman has issued a fresh statement amid speculations surrounding the Argentina national football team's visit to the southern state later this year. Recently, there were reports that Argentina, led by Lionel Messi, might cancel the Kerala leg of their tour due to sponsorship issues.
Government clarifies role amid uncertainty
However, Abdurahiman has made it clear that the responsibility of bringing the Argentina football team to Kerala lies with the sponsors and not the state government. His statement comes amid growing uncertainty over the tour due to the sponsors' reported breach of contract with the Argentina Football Association (AFA).
Speaking to Onmanorama on Saturday, Abdurahiman said, 'The government will make every arrangement if the Argentina team comes to Kerala. But I can't say anything more at this moment. As of now, we can't say that Messi and Argentina are not coming. Yes, there were some delays, but there is no confusion at the moment.'
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Abdurahiman explained that the Kochi-based Reporter Broadcasting Company had entered into an agreement with AFA to bring the reigning World Cup champions to Kerala. The minister said that the sponsors have promised to clear the pending payment to AFA soon, which may have caused the confusion.
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Abdurahiman also pointed out that the Kerala government is currently dealing with financial issues and cannot afford to host a high-profile international football team. He clarified that the state government had only helped identify two potential sponsors and submitted their details to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for approval.
Change in stance fuels confusion
However, this latest statement is different from what he had said earlier. A few months ago, he had announced that the Kerala government had struck a deal with AFA and that Messi and his team would spend around a week in Kerala, playing at least two friendly matches between October and November.
Meanwhile, reports suggest that the Kerala Gold and Silver Merchants' Association was the main sponsor at first but they had trouble getting approvals from the RBI, so they stepped back. Then, Reporter TV became the new sponsor and reportedly got the required RBI clearance but got tangled in a payment issue with the AFA.
'The RBI rejected the first sponsor because they didn't meet the necessary criteria. After that, Reporter Broadcasting Company stepped in as the new sponsor. They have received all the required clearances from both the RBI and the Central Ministry of Sports,' the minister said.
Earlier in the month, the Argentina's international friendly schedule was announced by the AFA and it did not include India, which caused a stir. If the tour goes ahead as planned, it will be the second time Messi will play international friendly in India. He first came way back in 2011 to play a friendly in Kolkata.
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