Sourav Ganguly to rub shoulders with Diego Maradona in charity football match

What’s the story?

Argentinian football great and 1986 World Cup winner, Diego Maradona will be coming to Kolkata for a two-day trip and as a part of this visit, he will also play a charity football match on the 2nd of October alongside former Indian cricket captain, Sourav Ganguly. The exhibition match will tentatively be held at the Aditya School of Sports in Barasat.

“This will be called the ‘Match for Unity’, and will not be an 11-a-side. We will try to ensure that Maradona remains in the spotlight. Besides Ganguly, there will be a host of other celebrities. We are finalizing the venue,” Satadru Dutta, who is the partner of 7d Ventures and Founder of Moksh Sports Ventures, the promoter of Maradona’s trip was quoted as saying to PTI.

In case you didn’t know...

This is not the first time that Maradona will be visiting India. He first came to the country back in December 2008 and thousands of fans had the opportunity to see him live at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata. The second time that he came to India was in Kerala in 2012 when he met India's Black Pearl IM Vijayan.

Heart of the matter

The "Match for Unity" will feature a host of stars rubbing their shoulders with the Argentine legend, Diego Maradona. Apart from the left-handed batsman Sourav Ganguly, these include the likes of hockey great Dhanraj Pillay, cricketers Manoj Tiwary and Deep Dasgupta and Bengali actor Abir Chatterjee.

Mohun Bagan players such as Sony Norde, Chima Okorie, Jose Ramirez Barreto and Odafa Okolie will also play alongside former India players, Prasun Banerjee, Carlton Chapman and Dipendu Biswas.

What next?

The organizers are also awaiting the response of former footballer Bhaichung Bhutia to confirm his presence for the charity match. Moreover, huge fan turnout can be expected by the organizers in the football crazy city of Kolkata, when a host of stars lock horns against each other alongside the legend, Maradona.

Author’s take

This visit of Maradona ahead of the FIFA Under-17 World Cup which will commence on the 6th of October will bring in the much-needed attention towards the big tournament that India is all set to host.

Moreover, it serves as a great opportunity for fans of the footballing great to witness him live in action in India alongside some of the greats of Indian sports in the likes of Sourav Ganguly, Dhanraj Pillay and Prasun Banerjee amongst others.