Kolkata: With the U-17 World Cup drawing near, the feelings of excitement among the masses are encouraging. While many legends have already visited the country for the promotion of the upcoming tournament, Argentine football legend Diego Maradona is set to visit the city for a special ‘Diego vs Dada’ match against a Sourav Ganguly led team at the Aditya Academy Ground in Barasat on October 2. But, things as of now are uncertain owing to security reasons and lack of support from the government.
According to a report in xtratime.com, the main reason for the uncertainty of the match is due to the events before and after the same. Muharram is set to be happening on the first of October, while just after the scheduled date of the match, the processions of Durga puja is said to take place. The police under such circumstances, has reportedly denied complete security for an event as big as this.
Barasat is a place where both Muharram and Durga puja are celebrated with much interest, and it will be hard for the forces to provide tight security for three days on the run. A high voltage match involving two legendary athletes will be hard to be organised without a tight security.
Moreover, the organisers are building a temporary capacity of 8,000 seats in the newly built stadium. However, according to sources the ticket sales can amount up to 20,000. Under such circumstances the government is not keen on allowing the match to take place.
Satadru Dutta, an official of the organising team was quoted by xtratime.com saying, “The Government has asked us to cut short the ticket sales, and we will take every step as per the instructions by the West Bengal Government.”
While the match can bring a lot of joy to the fans and pride to the city for hosting such an star studded affair, the cancellation of it will mean a huge loss on part of the organisers who have been promoting the event for the last 3-4 months.