KOCHI: Italian winger Angel di Maria has got a doppelganger in Kochi. Shilten Peter, a college graduate from Nettoor and a trained football referee, bears striking facial similarities with the attacking midfielder. And for that, he has often become a subject of his college-mates’ friendly taunts.
Shilten, who is on a part-time job with a taxi company, finally gave in to his friends’ prodding last week and sat down for a centre-spike hair-do and a makeover to amplify the similarity with di Maria. Now, he sports the albicelesta jersey at times and take a stroll down the road by his house, often drawing funny remarks from his gang of friends. Though di Maria reigns over Shilten’s face, it is the more famous Italian midfielder, Messi, who rules his heart. “People say I look like di Maria, but I like Messi more,” he said.
Shilten’s resemblance to di Maria started attracting attention during the 2010 World Cup. But after the sporting spectacle, the buzz gradually died down and resurfaced with the onset of the current World Cup.