KOCHI: The football World Cup party refuses to end for Kerala. The Qatar tournament and the victory of Lionel Messi-inspired Argentina gave the world a peep into the huge fan following the Latin American country’s football team enjoys in the state.
Now, in a rare display of gratitude and to acknowledge and appreciate Malayali football fans for their support to its national team, the Argentina embassy in New Delhi on Thursday hosted a special dinner for some select guests from Kerala — Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and legendary Indian footballer I M Vijayan.
The special invite by Hugo Javier Gobbi, Argentina Ambassador to India, was also extended to senior officials of embassies of other Latin American countries, including Brazil and Colombia, which also have huge fan base in Kerala.
Venu Rajamony, the officer on special duty, external cooperation, in Delhi, Government of Kerala; Shaji Prabhakaran, and Kalyan Chaubey, secretary general and president, respectively, of All India Football Federation, also attended the dinner.
It’s a special occasion, says I M Vijayan
“It was a rare and unique event. Not everyday you would see a foreign embassy hosting a dinner for a chief minister of a state to thank for the support its people extended for the football team,” said a source, who attended the dinner hosted at the residence of Argentine Ambassador to India.
Rajamony told TNIE that there was nothing official about the event, and it was the Argentine embassy’s way of thanking Kerala for supporting its team. I M Vijayan, who himself is a big fan of the Argentina team said: “It’s a special occasion.”
Mathew Joseph, CEO of Kerala Sports League, which is organising the Kerala Super League from November, also attended the high-profile dinner. Industrialist Navaz Meeran and Feroz Meeran of Meerans Sports, which along with Scoreline Sports Pvt Ltd, won the commercial rights for the Kerala Super League, were the other attendees.
Within days of Argentina's world cup win, Franco Agustin Senilliani Melchior, commercial head of Argentina's Embassy in India, visited Kerala House in Delhi to thank the Malayalee fans for their support in Argentina's journey in the FIFA World Cup. He had said Argentina was interested in providing football training to the children of Kerala. He said that the possibilities of cooperation with Kerala will be explored.
V C Praveen, owner of Gokulam Kerala, and Thomas Muthoot of Muthoot Pappachan Group, which is backing the Indian Super League, also attended the dinner.