The Ambassador of Argentina gifted Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan a national team jersey as a token of appreciation for the state's support of the Lionel Messi-led football superpower at the Qatar World Cup.
Indian football legend IM Vijayan, who is an Argentina fan himself, was present when Ambassador Hugo Javier Gobbi presented Pinarayi with the jersey in New Delhi.
"Delighted to meet Hugo Javier Gobbi, the Ambassador of Argentina to India, who presented me with their national football jersey. It was an honour to receive it in the presence of a legendary footballer from Kerala, I M Vijayan. Thank you for your warm gesture!" tweeted Pinarayi.
Vijayan is the chairman of the technical committee of the All India Football Federation.
Offer to support Kerala football
"Argentina has made invaluable contributions to the game. He agreed to provide support in the training of men and women teams of Kerala, a state that has an abundance of football fans," Vijayan said.
The chief minister said the Ambassador told him how impressed he was with the natural beauty of Kerala when he travelled down to attend the G20 meeting.
Kerala's massive following for Argentina and their arch-rivals Brazil caught global attention during the 2022 world cup in Qatar. Argentina had emerged as the world champions for the third time with a thrilling win over France in a penalty shootout on December 18 last year.
