It was possible to bring Messi alone to Kerala, but we don’t desire that: Sports Minister Abdurahiman

Kerala's Sports Minister V Abdurahiman has claimed that it was possible to bring Lionel Messi alone to the state, but the aim was to land the entire Argentine football team.

The minister was responding after Argentina's proposed visit to Kerala for a November friendly fell through. According to reports, FIFA did not give security clearance to the Jawaharlal Nehru International (JNI) Stadium at Kaloor in Kochi for the match. Earlier in the day, the Argentine Football Association (AFA) announced its travel plans for November, which are devoid of a visit to India.

"It was possible to get a visit from Messi alone. But we don't desire that," Minister Abdurahiman said. "Messi coming to Kerala and doing a roadshow here will not benefit our sports sector," he added.

Abdurahiman had parroted the announcements made by a private broadcasting company, which acted as the sponsor for the proposed visit. He claimed that the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) had recommended the state's readiness to host Argentina for a friendly against Australia on November 17. Interestingly, Football Australia has yet to make any statements regarding the proposed friendly in Kerala.

"We made a great effort. The necessary paperwork, regarding clearances, was submitted late on Friday night. We had met the FIFA Vice President directly. We had to apply for clearances 20 days prior to the fixture, but we were a few days late," Abdurahiman said.

Blaming the media
Abdurahiman said the AFA was satisfied with the JNI Stadium in Kochi. But he believes a section of the media tried to torpedo the match by apprising FIFA of the security issues at the venue. When JNI was one of the venues for the FIFA Under-17 World Cup in 2017, shops in the stadium premises, most of which used various types of fuel, including kerosene, had to be relocated due to safety issues. Most of the businesses returned to the premises after the event and are operational to this day, including eateries that use gas cylinders.

"FIFA came up with such strict guidelines because some friends from here sent mail," Abdurahiman cast aspersions on the media. "Officials from Argentina visited and went back satisfied. Then several people sent emails, raising the issue of gas (cylinders in stadium premises)," the minister said.