Maradona to dribble in Kerala town

Kannur (Kerala) - Excitement is mounting in this football crazy Kerala town with Argentine legend Diego Maradona arriving here Wednesday to exhibit his skills and inaugurate a showroom.

Maradona will be here Oct 23 from Dubai for a few hours and will attend three functions – opening of a showroom of Chemmanur International Jewellers, inaugurate the helicopter services of Chemmanur Airlines and play some football at the municipal stadium.

Maradona, who captained the Argentine team to victory in the 1986 FIFA World Cup, is coming to the southern state on the invitation of his friend, industrialist Bobby Chemmanur.

The 52-year-old will cut a 25-kg football shaped cake to celebrate his birthday which falls Oct 30, P.S. Shaji, an official of the jewellery company, told IANS.

“We plan to hold a small dribbling and ball kicking session by the master footballer. We also expect him to interact with players of a student’s club too,” he said.

Maradona will distribute sewing machines and kits to beneficiaries selected as part of the company’s social activities, said Shaji.

According to Shaji, Chemmanur, 44, first met Maradona a year ago in Dubai and they have been friends since then.

“When we were planning to invite (Bollywood actor) Akshay Kumar to inaugurate our Dubai showroom, we heard Maradona was in Dubai at a football club. When Chemmanur asked Maradona if he could be the chief guest for the showroom’s opening, he agreed. When he was told about the inauguration of this showroom, he again agreed,” said Shaji.

Maradona arrives in Kochi airport Oct 23 and will fly down in a helicopter to Kannur. After the functions, he will fly back to Dubai.