Latest news with #V.Abdurahiman
The Hindu
a day ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Kerala Sports Minister questions authenticity of Argentine Football Association claim
Sports Minister V. Abdurahiman has questioned the authenticity of a statement attributed to Leandro Petersen, Chief Commercial and Marketing Officer of the Argentine Football Association (AFA). Mr. Petersen had claimed that the Kerala government breached a contract for the Argentine team led by Lionel Messi to play in Kerala. Addressing the media here on Saturday, Mr. Abdurahiman said that he doubted the validity of Mr. Peterson's statement. The Minister reiterated that the State government had not made any breach of contract. 'We proposed October-November for the Argentine team's visit to Kerala, and we are aware that they have no scheduled matches during that period. We would like them to play here this year, not next. If they cannot honour the contract and come and play this year, then salaam to them,' the Minister said. However, he evaded repeated questions from the media about the sponsor's responsibility and the government's earlier versions. 'We made every effort to bring the Argentine team to Kerala, and the sponsor fulfilled their payment. As true Malayalis, we shared the same enthusiasm as others to see the World Cup-winning team in action here. Our goal was to inspire the younger generation's interest in football,' he said. Congress slams govt. Meanwhile, Congress leaders raised a barrage of criticism alleging that the Sports Minister put Kerala in shame by breaching its contract with the AFA. 'Messi is missing. The government has the responsibility to reply and clarify,' said Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee president Sunny Joseph. Shafi Parambil, MP, accused the State government of deceiving and betraying the people. 'They must provide a transparent explanation, particularly in light of the Argentine Football Association's claims that the government breached the contract,' he said. He demanded accountability saying that the government must justify the public funds spent on the Argentine football team's proposed visit. 'If the breach of contract was not from the Argentine side, then the CPI(M) should foot the bill,' the MP said. He slammed the State government for politicising football. 'They exploited people's love for the sport for political mileage. They made it a political project. And now they are saying it is the sponsor's responsibility,' he said.
News18
3 days ago
- Politics
- News18
Kerala Government Spent Rs 13 Lakh To Invite Lionel Messi: Report
The Kerala government spent Rs 13 lakh on Sports Minister V. Abdurahiman's trip to Spain to invite Lionel Messi, contradicting claims of no public expenditure. The Kerala government's claim that no public money would be spent to bring football legend Lionel Messi to the state has been exposed as misleading. It has now emerged that the state government spent Rs 13 lakh on Kerala Sports Minister V. Abdurahiman's trip to Spain in September 2024, reportedly to invite Messi to Kerala. The Minister was accompanied by the Sports Department Secretary and the Director of Sports and Youth Affairs. This revelation contradicts Minister Abdurahiman's earlier statement that it would not cost the government 'even a single rupee" to invite Messi to Kerala. Earlier this week, the same Minister confirmed that Argentina's national football team, led by Messi, would not be visiting Kerala. The Argentinian team reportedly cited difficulties in traveling to the state in October, the only month the sponsor was willing to host the event. Previously, Abdurahiman had claimed that the team was likely to visit in October or November and would be treated as state guests, with the government covering their security, accommodation, and other logistics. In the football-crazy districts of Malappuram and Kozhikode, Argentina's national team enjoys massive support, a sentiment that soared after Messi led Argentina to victory in the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. The Minister, a native of Malappuram, had been actively working to bring Messi to Kerala. Sources indicate that one of the motivations behind the government's efforts was political, as local body elections are slated for December, and assembly elections are due in April-May next year, to elect 140 members to the Kerala Legislative Assembly. The exposure of this apparent bluff by the Minister has armed the opposition, with both the Congress-led UDF and BJP-led NDA accusing the Pinarayi Vijayan government of indulging in publicity stunts and misleading the public. With IANS Inputs view comments First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
The Hindu
6 days ago
- Sport
- The Hindu
Messi-led Argentina football team drops Kerala trip over scheduling clash, says State Minister
Argentina's national football team, led by legendary player Lionel Messi, will not visit Kerala, State Sports Minister V. Abdurahiman said on Monday (August 4, 2025). The Minister had earlier insisted that the Messi-led Argentina side would visit the State as announced by the Kerala government, and that the sponsor had already paid the match fee for the event. He told reporters on Monday that the foreign team informed them that they were facing difficulties in visiting the State in October this year, but the sponsor responded that "we are interested only in a visit in the month of October." Mr. Abdurahiman had earlier said the team was more likely to come in October or November this year, and that they would be treated as State guests, with their security, accommodation, and other facilities provided by the government.
United News of India
20-07-2025
- Entertainment
- United News of India
Federal Bank Kerala Cricket League Season 2 launch today
Thiruvananthapuram, July 20 (UNI) The grand launch of Federal Bank Kerala Cricket League (KCL) Season 2 will be held today. Kerala Sports Minister V. Abdurahiman will officially inaugurate the event at Nishagandhi Auditorium at 5:30 pm. As part of the ceremony, the Minister will unveil the official mascots of KCL in front of a packed audience comprising cricket fans, invited guests, and the general public. The Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) has announced a public contest to name the mascots, with special prizes for the winning entries. Adding to the excitement, star cricketer Sanju Samson and emerging player Salman Nisar will launch the official fan jerseys for Season 2. A special video tribute featuring Salman Nisar's helmet, symbolic of Kerala's historic entry into the Ranji Trophy final, will also be screened during the event. The Minister will then flag off the KCL Trophy Motorcade, which will travel across Kerala as part of the league's promotional campaign. Following the official proceedings, popular music band 'Agam' will take the stage for a live performance starting at 8:30 pm. Admission to the launch event and the concert is free for the public. The function will also be attended by V.K. Prasanth MLA, KCA President Jayesh George, Secretary Vinod S. Kumar, KCL Council Chairman Nazir Machan, and other KCA members. Franchise owners including Priyadarshan, Kalyani Priyadarshan, Keerthy Suresh, Jose Thomas Pattara, Shibu Mathai, Riyaz Adam (Adani Trivandrum Royals), Sohan Roy (Aries Kollam Sailors), Subhash George Manuel (Kochi Blue Tigers), Sanju Mohammed (Calicut Globestars), Sajad Seth (Finesse Thrissur Titans), and T.S. Kaladharan, Krishna Kaladharan, Shibu Mathew, and Raphael Thomas (Alleppey Ripples) will also be present. To further promote the league, a trophy tour will be conducted across seven districts; Kannur, Kozhikode, Thrissur, Kochi, Alappuzha, Kollam, and Thiruvananthapuram, from July 21 to August 16. The promotional vehicle will spend four days in each district, featuring events with celebrities, sportspersons, and fan interactions. UNI DS RKM
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)
