The legend’s unconfirmed schedule could yet cause a thousand heartbreaks in Nagaland
DIMAPUR, NOVEMBER 25
The news that Argentine soccer legend Diego Maradona is coming to Nagaland has not been confirmed yet, despite reports to the contrary. An official announcement was scheduled on Friday but state officials could not confirm Maradona’s reported visit, giving rise to doubts if he could come at all.
According to Nagaland Football Coach Association (NCFA) members, the final decision to announce Maradona’s coming to Nagaland was supposed to take place on Friday which didn’t happen as expected.
The director of Youth Resources and Sports, Asangla Imti told Eastern Mirror that the department received an email stating that the visit of Maradona, football’s ultimate royalty, has been postponed. No explanation was provided, she informed.
The Chief Minister’s Office also confirmed that the visit has been postponed. Strangely, the CMO also did not provide any explanation.
“We are not organising this programme, we just got informed it was postponed, we cannot say anything more than that. Otherwise we were also organising a programme for him as well,” a CMO official said. He said that the change in schedule has “nothing to do with us.”
According to circular recently issued by the department of Youth Resources and Sports, the visit of El Diego was on the request of North East for Child Rights (NECR). According to a Goal.com report North East for Child Rights is an NGO that works on child rights and protection issues with its office in Mumbai.
It has reached out to the Argentine legend and is trying to get him as the chief guest for a couple of youth championships in the northeast region before the Christmas break.
Earlier, the department of Youth Resources and Sports, in a circular, has stated: ‘Inviting reference to above, the North East for Child Rights has approached the CM regarding a football event of under-16 of CM Cup involving Diego Maradona, the world renowned footballer in Kohima on 12th December 2016. The Chief Minister has agreed to the proposal and desires that directions for distribution of works assignment to the departments listed above be intimated for further action.’
But now, Maradona’s visit has been put in serious doubt even as the department officials as well as the chief minister’s office could not confirm the specific day to which his arrival has been postponed.
