Barasat > Diego Maradona showed glimpses of his famous dribbling skills, his deft left-footed touches and even crooned Spanish songs as he mesmerised a bunch of school children during an event here today. On an unusual muggy winter afternoon, the workshop with about 60 school children, including girls, at a private sports academy at Kadambagachi, Barasat, about 35km from Kolkata turned out to be an elaborate one.
The 57-year-old, who turned up in shorts, enjoyed every bit of it and the gruelling session literally drained him as he was seen drenched in sweat. But the God of football had no complaints and was eloquent in his three-minute speech in Spanish. 'Im here for football. It is a big step, that we take with the minister -- to uplift football in India,' he said about his three-day private trip which was co-sponsored by Trinamool Congress MLA Sujit Bose, among others.
'India really has good players and a football school of boys. Your minister and I must stop this notion that football wants India and India wants football. Together with the minister and the people we will bring football. I have always been very well received in India. Thanks and kisses!' he signed off. He also obliged the school children with photographs and did not mind sitting on the pitch for that perfect frame.
The Argentine football legend was seen shouting and making the young guns make two queues as he played passes for them to shoot from the spot. Sporting Maradonas No. 10 jersey, the boys and girls came one by one and tried out their skills. Even a few of them were seen dribbling past the 1986 World Cup hero.
Maradona was visibly ecstatic and could not control his emotions and tried out his left-footers, enthralling about 7000-odd crowd and also took a few shots. The workshop began around 1.15pm with former footballers like Shyam Thapa, Debjit Ghosh, Sishir Ghosh among others as the area wore a festive look with flags of various nations adorning the streets.
Maradona entered about 10 minutes later as a shower of confetti welcomed the legend to the pitch. Wasting little time, he headed straight towards the packed galleries and wowed them by kicking some footballs up in air.
Divided in three groups, the boys and girls waited patiently for their hero to come near them. But Maradona obliged them with much more and was seen completely involved in the session that went on for more than 30 minutes. After that, Maradona went inside the dugout and when everyone thought that it was over, he came out wearing a blue jersey this time.
However, it was not about football but a crooning session.
Taking the microphone from Kochi-based Charles Anthony who was singing some Spanish songs, Maradona hummed a couple of songs, cheered on by the crowd. It was also a memorable occasion for Barasat people who had a glimpse of one of the greatest football icons of all time.
'We all had been waiting for this event to take place for three months now. Our wish has finally fulfilled. I saw him doing the Hand of God and hes here in front of us. I cant believe my eyes,' 58-year-old Jiten Chowdhury said watching the proceedings from the galleries with an umbrella. In his second visit to Kolkata after 2008, Maradona was originally slated to arrive on September 19, on the auspicious Mahalaya day in the build-up to the Durga Puja festival but his trip was mired in several postponements. Maradona concludes his three-day trip tomorrow
