ID :
34462
Mon, 12/08/2008 - 11:41
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/34462
The shortlink copeid
Maradona dribbles past formal functions
Kolkata, Dec 7 (PTI) Visibly tired by the hectic schedule
on his first visit here, soccer legend Diego Maradona cut
short his programmes on the final day of his two-day trip
Sunday, though he ensured that his die-hard fans do not go
home dejected.
Maradona was supposed to spend 45 minutes at the Mohun
Bagan ground for a football clinic for young boys but the
Argentine superstar spent just 10 minutes there, though the
thousands of crazy fans enjoyed every bit of his stay there.
The day also witnessed a stray incident of scuffle as
policemen roughed up the mediapersons waiting for Maradona
outside former chief minister Jyoti Basu's residence.
Maradona, after arriving at the Mohun Bagan ground, chose
not to sit on the makeshift dais and receive the bouquets. He
went straight to the field where the Bhowanipore and Mohun
Bagan U-12 boys lined up for the clinic. Amid boisterous crowd
cheer, Maradona hugged the sub-junior boys and blessed them
before doing a his famous jugglery in the middle.
He went around near every stand, kicking the ball at the
crowd as he went on asking for more balls.
Spotting an Argentine national flag to the left side of
the field, Maradona went near the goal post and then juggled
the ball over his head as the crowd erupted in joy.
Later, he went towards the entrance of the ground and
kissed the field thrice and, like a fanatic football fan,
jumped over the barricade where all the shutterbugs were
stationed and then in a typical Diego style thumped his chest,
yelling 'Argentina, Argentina'.
Giving a skip to the scheduled programme on the dais,
Maradona chose to go out of ground from the passageway, which
left the state sports minister Subhas Chakraborty zapped.
Apparently, Maradona was "annoyed" at the chaos at the
felicitation at Yuba Bharati Krirangan Saturday night and
chose to give a miss to the formal felicitation function
organised by Mohun Bagan officials.
Asked why the Argentine legend chose to cut short the
day's programme and spent only 10 minutes at the Mohun Bagan
ground, Dharamdutt Pande of Celebrity Management Group (CMG)
told PTI, "Obviously he was tired and wanted to take some rest
in between. After all, he has come after a 31-hour-long
journey. Even the weather here is totally different, so it
might not have suited him. However, he made sure that all the
programmes in his itinerary remain in place."
Maradona also skip his breakfast Sunday to make his visit
to the Missionaries of Charity which marked the beginning of
the day.
Realising his long-cherished dream of visiting the
Mother's House, Maradona accompanied by girl friend Veronica
prayed at Mother Teresa's abode at 11.10am (local time).
Maradona and Veronica were welcomed by the nuns and
greeted by children standing in rows who offered the soccer
wizard flowers. A huge crowd also thronged the road outside.
Amid tight security with hardly anyone including the
media allowed inside, Maradona spent over half an hour praying
and learning about the Mother's work from the nuns.
The duo embraced the children and shared love with them,
mostly orphans who lived there.
Maradona stood near the flower-bedecked tomb of Mother
Teresa and lit a candle amid prayers by the nuns. He prayed
for a while with hands folded close to his chest, before
kissing the marble tomb. Veronica followed suit.
Sister Nirmala, Superior General of the order, was also
present while a Spanish speaking nun briefed Maradona about
the place and Maradona wrote a few words in Spanish in the
visitors' book.
Before leaving, Maradona bid adieu to the little children
with a "bye bye". He kissed some of them and shook hands with
others, while stroking their heads.
Coming out with some books on the Mother, he was again
cheered by hundreds of hysteric fans who were waiting to have
a glimpse of him. The frenzied fans broke down the police
barricade opposite the Mother's House on the arterial AJC Bose
Road in a bid to have a better view.
Maradona, however, repeated his Saturday's act of
thumping his chest with his hand and blowing kisses in the air
as if saying, "I am for all of you".
Maradona was scheduled to visit former chief minister
Jyoti Basu at his residence Indira Bhavan in the morning, but
because of the scuffle between the policeman and mediapersons,
the meeting was rescheduled in the afternoon.
The soccer legend spent 10 minutes with Basu, the two
talking through interpreters. During the tete-a-tete, Maradona
was presented with a portrait of Cuban leader Fidel Castro.
The nonagenarian former chief minister wished Maradona a long
life.
Outside the residence of Basu a dais was erected for the
1986 World Cup hero to address the fans but there too, he did
not climb the dais and chose to head straight to his hotel.
PTI TAP
DEP
NNNN
on his first visit here, soccer legend Diego Maradona cut
short his programmes on the final day of his two-day trip
Sunday, though he ensured that his die-hard fans do not go
home dejected.
Maradona was supposed to spend 45 minutes at the Mohun
Bagan ground for a football clinic for young boys but the
Argentine superstar spent just 10 minutes there, though the
thousands of crazy fans enjoyed every bit of his stay there.
The day also witnessed a stray incident of scuffle as
policemen roughed up the mediapersons waiting for Maradona
outside former chief minister Jyoti Basu's residence.
Maradona, after arriving at the Mohun Bagan ground, chose
not to sit on the makeshift dais and receive the bouquets. He
went straight to the field where the Bhowanipore and Mohun
Bagan U-12 boys lined up for the clinic. Amid boisterous crowd
cheer, Maradona hugged the sub-junior boys and blessed them
before doing a his famous jugglery in the middle.
He went around near every stand, kicking the ball at the
crowd as he went on asking for more balls.
Spotting an Argentine national flag to the left side of
the field, Maradona went near the goal post and then juggled
the ball over his head as the crowd erupted in joy.
Later, he went towards the entrance of the ground and
kissed the field thrice and, like a fanatic football fan,
jumped over the barricade where all the shutterbugs were
stationed and then in a typical Diego style thumped his chest,
yelling 'Argentina, Argentina'.
Giving a skip to the scheduled programme on the dais,
Maradona chose to go out of ground from the passageway, which
left the state sports minister Subhas Chakraborty zapped.
Apparently, Maradona was "annoyed" at the chaos at the
felicitation at Yuba Bharati Krirangan Saturday night and
chose to give a miss to the formal felicitation function
organised by Mohun Bagan officials.
Asked why the Argentine legend chose to cut short the
day's programme and spent only 10 minutes at the Mohun Bagan
ground, Dharamdutt Pande of Celebrity Management Group (CMG)
told PTI, "Obviously he was tired and wanted to take some rest
in between. After all, he has come after a 31-hour-long
journey. Even the weather here is totally different, so it
might not have suited him. However, he made sure that all the
programmes in his itinerary remain in place."
Maradona also skip his breakfast Sunday to make his visit
to the Missionaries of Charity which marked the beginning of
the day.
Realising his long-cherished dream of visiting the
Mother's House, Maradona accompanied by girl friend Veronica
prayed at Mother Teresa's abode at 11.10am (local time).
Maradona and Veronica were welcomed by the nuns and
greeted by children standing in rows who offered the soccer
wizard flowers. A huge crowd also thronged the road outside.
Amid tight security with hardly anyone including the
media allowed inside, Maradona spent over half an hour praying
and learning about the Mother's work from the nuns.
The duo embraced the children and shared love with them,
mostly orphans who lived there.
Maradona stood near the flower-bedecked tomb of Mother
Teresa and lit a candle amid prayers by the nuns. He prayed
for a while with hands folded close to his chest, before
kissing the marble tomb. Veronica followed suit.
Sister Nirmala, Superior General of the order, was also
present while a Spanish speaking nun briefed Maradona about
the place and Maradona wrote a few words in Spanish in the
visitors' book.
Before leaving, Maradona bid adieu to the little children
with a "bye bye". He kissed some of them and shook hands with
others, while stroking their heads.
Coming out with some books on the Mother, he was again
cheered by hundreds of hysteric fans who were waiting to have
a glimpse of him. The frenzied fans broke down the police
barricade opposite the Mother's House on the arterial AJC Bose
Road in a bid to have a better view.
Maradona, however, repeated his Saturday's act of
thumping his chest with his hand and blowing kisses in the air
as if saying, "I am for all of you".
Maradona was scheduled to visit former chief minister
Jyoti Basu at his residence Indira Bhavan in the morning, but
because of the scuffle between the policeman and mediapersons,
the meeting was rescheduled in the afternoon.
The soccer legend spent 10 minutes with Basu, the two
talking through interpreters. During the tete-a-tete, Maradona
was presented with a portrait of Cuban leader Fidel Castro.
The nonagenarian former chief minister wished Maradona a long
life.
Outside the residence of Basu a dais was erected for the
1986 World Cup hero to address the fans but there too, he did
not climb the dais and chose to head straight to his hotel.
PTI TAP
DEP
NNNN
