Football great Diego Maradona arrived to a royal welcome from thousands of fans in Kerala, says a report in The Hindu. Maradona has landed in Kerala for the inauguration of a new showroom of Boby Chemmanur International Jewellers and Airlines, for which he is the brand ambassador.
“Tight security was in place in the city, which saw a festive atmosphere with hundreds of fans pouring in from Kozhikode, Malappuram and Kasargode districts to catch a glimpse of their hero. Around 2000 police personnel were on duty,” says the report.
Meanwhile, The Times of India reports that Kannur looked like Buenos Aires or any other Argentinian city because of the impact of Maradona.
“Maradona arrived in Kerala 12 hours ahead of schedule for Wednesday's private function. Fearing inclement weather in the evening, the organisers of the event requested the football legend to advance his visit and he duly obliged. He arrived at the Cochin International Airport in the early Tuesday morning and headed straight to Kannur via a private chopper. He landed at the army helipad here and was quickly whisked away to the hotel by security staff,” says the report.
“Maradona stepped out in the balcony of his hotel room in the evening and waved at his thousands of fans who had assembled near the hotel - waiting to get a glimpse of the superstar - since dawn,” says the report.