Latest news with #ReporterBroadcastingCompany
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
4 days ago
- Business
- First Post
Kerala govt's commercial partner threatens legal action if Lionel Messi-led Argentina skip October tour
The Kerala Government's commercial could be forced to take legal action if Lionel Messi and the Argentina football team do not turn up to play in India in October or November this year. read more The Kerala Government's commercial partner- the Reporter Broadcasting Company- for bringing the Argentina football team, along with globally recognised star , to the state, has made it known that it would be forced to explore legal action if the world champions do not turn up to play in India in October or November. The company has confirmed that it had paid the full amount of ₹130 crore to the Argentine Football Association (AFA) on June 6 this year as per the agreement signed in December 2024. The reporter further informed that the AFA aims to defer the team's visit to India to September 2026. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'As per the agreement, we had sent the full amount and they (AFA) also acknowledged it. But after five days, we received an email asking whether we are okay with having the match in September 2026." Anto Augustine, managing director of Reporter was quoted as saying by Onmanorama. More from Football Postponement could trigger massive financial loss Given that the FIFA World Cup is scheduled to begin in June next year, and they could lose the world champion tag, Augustine has strongly opposed the proposal of the AFA, stating that it would be a violation of the agreement. 'That violates the terms of the agreement we have with the AFA. We are not okay with it. As per our agreement with the AFA, the deal was to have the match in October-November this year. They had even told us that the match can be held in October and we had fulfilled all the terms as per the agreement.' Augustine has conveyed that they want the friendly match to take place this year only as a postponement will come with a massive financial loss. 'We are interested in having the match only this year, as per the agreed terms. If the agreement is not honoured, there will be huge financial loss. So we may have to handle this legally,' he said. Kerala Sports Minister V. Abdurahiman, who made the announcement that Argentina would play in Kerala in October, told the media on Monday that the team would not visit the state this year. Anto, on the other hand, has refrained from making any such statement and is waiting for the AFA to formally declare that the team would not be playing in the state this year. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
New Indian Express
5 days ago
- Business
- New Indian Express
No official word on cancellation, says ‘Messi project' sponsor
KOCHI: Reporter Broadcasting Company, the official sponsors of the state government's 'Messi project' on Tuesday rejected reports that the Argentina Football Association had called off their Kerala visit. Sports Minister V Abdurahiman had said Messi was not coming to Kerala for the two exhibition matches scheduled in October. However, Anto Augustine, the MD of Reporter Broadcasting Company, said, 'We have not received any official intimation that the Kerala tour in October is called off yet. The information we received recently was the offer to play in September 2026, instead of October this year, for which no official confirmation was made.' The sponsors said a total of Rs 130 crore was transferred to the AFA as part of the agreement on June 6, 2025. 'They sent official confirmation that the money has been received and that they are moving to the next step on June 12. Now after two months, if they do not stick to the plan, we will see it as a breach of agreement,' he said Anto added that the intention was to bring the current world champions to Kerala, and an agreement to bring the team in 2026, after the World Cup gets over, would make no sense.
The Hindu
5 days ago
- Sport
- The Hindu
Sponsor mulls legal action if Argentina does not play in Kerala this year
The Reporter Broadcasting Company, the Kerala Government's commercial partner for bringing the Argentina football team and its star Lionel Messi to Kerala, has said that it might be forced to take legal recourse if the World Cup champion does not play in the State in October or November. Reporter, the sponsor for the team's visit to Kerala, said it had paid the full amount of ₹130 crore to the Argentine Football Association (AFA) on June 6 this year as per the agreement signed in December 2024. 'As per the agreement, we had sent the full amount and they (AFA) also acknowledged it. But after five days, we received an email asking whether we are okay with having the match in September 2026,' said Anto Augustine, managing director of Reporter, on Tuesday. 'That violates the terms of the agreement we have with the AFA. We are not okay with it. As per our agreement with the AFA, the deal was to have the match in October-November this year. They had even told us that the match can be held in October and we had fulfilled all the terms as per the agreement.' The next World Cup will be held in June-July 2026 in Canada, Mexico and the USA and Augustine feels the scene could be very different after the quadrennial event. 'We are interested in having the match only this year, as per the agreed terms. If the agreement is not honoured, there will be huge financial loss. So we may have to handle this legally,' he said. Kerala Sports Minister V. Abdurahiman, who had announced that Argentina would play in Kerala in October, had told the media in Kozhikode on Monday that that the team would not visit Kerala this year. The minister explained that the team had difficulties in visiting the State in October. However, Anto felt it was not proper to announce that Messi and Argentina would not be coming to Kerala till the AFA officially declares that the team would not playing in the State this year.
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
08-06-2025
- Politics
- First Post
Good news for Messi fans in India! Kerala minister says payment made to bring Argentina legend
Kerala Sports Minister V Abdurahiman has confirmed that Lionel Messi and the Argentina football team will visit India in October-November for a friendly match. He said that the sponsor has cleared the payment. read more Kerala Sports Minister V Abdurahiman on Saturday confirmed that in October-November. This after a section of the media reported that the Argentina team had cancelled their scheduled visit to Kerala due to some payment dispute with the sponsors. Abdurahiman took to his Facebook account to clear the air on Messi's potential visit to India. He said that Messi will come and thanked the sponsor, the Reporter Broadcasting Company, for clearing the payment. The Kerala government had earlier announced Messi's visit to the state, but several reports later suggested that the Argentina team might not come. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Both Abdurahiman and the sponsor, Reporter Broadcasting Company, had strongly rejected the reports then and reiterated that the world champions would play a friendly match in the southern state. More from Football Kerala minister confirms Messi's visit While talking to the media on Saturday, Abdurahiman said there was some delay in the payment of the match fee by the sponsor and it is resolved now. 'The sponsor has paid the amount now. There is no other obstacles in this regard. As per the FIFA window, October-November is the time allotted for the world teams to take part in such events. So, the same time is likely to be allotted for us also,' he said. As per the contract between the sponsor and the Argentina Football Association (AFA), the team management would reach the state after the payment of the match fee and they would announce the date and other details through a joint statement, he said. While replying to a question, Abdurahiman said it was the sponsor who informed the government about the payment of the match fee and they are yet to get an update from the Argentina team management in this regard. 'The sponsors said they settled the contract amount to be paid before the match. The government has no connection with any financial dealings in this regard. The contract is between the sponsor and the team management,' he said. The proposed friendly match is more likely to be held at the greenfield stadium here as it meets international standards. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The minister further said the only objective of the government is to instill fresh hopes in the state sports sector by bringing the world champions. (With agency inputs)
The Hindu
08-06-2025
- Sport
- The Hindu
Lionel Messi in India — V. Abdurahiman says Argentina will visit Kerala in late 2025
Kerala Sports Minister V. Abdurahiman on Saturday asserted that Argentina, led by Lionel Messi, will visit the state as announced by the government earlier, and that the sponsor has paid the match fee for the event. He said the World Cup winner is likely to come in October or November this year, and they would be treated as state guests. The government would meet their security, accommodation and other facilities. The news would come as a fresh ray of hope for football fans in one of India's surviving football hubs. Earlier, several media reports had said that Argentina's scheduled visit was cancelled. Both Abdurahiman and the sponsor, Reporter Broadcasting Company, had strongly rejected the claims. The Minister put a brief Facebook post, saying that 'Messi will come', on Friday. The 2025 FIFA international calendar allows Argentina to play 10 matches, with four of them already played as part of the 2026 World Cup qualification campaign. Argentina's international windows in 2025: March 17-25 – 2 matches – Completed June 2-10 – 2 matches – Completed September 1-9 – 2 matches – FIFA World Cup qualifiers scheduled October 6-14 – 2 matches – Schedule yet to be decided November 10-18 – 2 matches – Schedule yet to be decided The Albiceleste plays Venezuela on September 9 and Ecuador five days later in the CONMEBOL FIFA World Cup qualifiers. They currently top the qualification group and has already qualified for the next World Cup. This leaves the next two windows open for their potential visit to India. However, their opponents are yet to be decided. Argentina camp yet to confirm Speaking to the media on Saturday, Abdurahiman confirmed that the sponsor's delay in paying the match fee had now been resolved 'The sponsor has paid the amount now. There are no other obstacles in this regard. As per the FIFA window, October-November is the time allotted for the world teams to take part in such events. So, the same time is likely to be allotted for us also,' he said. As per the contract between the sponsor and the Argentina Football Association (AFA), the team management would reach the state after the payment of the match fee, and they would announce the date and other details through a joint statement, he said. While replying to a question, Abdurahiman said it was the sponsor who informed the government about the payment of the match fee, and they are yet to get an update from the Argentina team management in this regard. 'The sponsors said they had settled the contract amount to be paid before the match. The government has no connection with any financial dealings in this regard. The contract is between the sponsor and the team management,' he said. Will India play Argentina? A match between India and Argentina is extremely unlikely for two primary reasons. Firstly, a match between Argentina, the top-ranked team in the world, and India, ranked 126th, will barely contribute to Elo rankings points for the visitors, with each match contributing 10 per cent to the team's ranking this year. Secondly, Argentina will defend the FIFA World Cup trophy in seven to eight months, depending on which window it travels to India. And that gives it a limited time to prepare. India, of all, would be an unlikely opponent to serve as a touchstone for Lionel Scaloni's men. Where will the match be played? If Argentina arrives, is likely to play at the Greenfield Stadium in Kerala's capital, Thiruvananthapuram. It is a multipurpose venue used for cricket as well as football. It hosted the 2015 SAFF Championship final and can accommodate 55,000 people, complying with FIFA's standards of a minimum of 40,000 capacity. Has Messi played in India before? Yes, Messi last played in India in September 2011, when Argentina faced Venezuela in a friendly at Kolkata's Salt Lake Stadium. Argentina won 1-0 in front of a packed crowd. (with inputs from PTI)
