Skip to main content

Cristiano Ronaldo-Divided Opinion Over Statue In India

Cristiano Ronaldo statue divides opinion in India.

A newly unveiled statue of Portuguese football star Cristiano Ronaldo is dividing opinion in India.

Placed in the western Goa state, where football is hugely popular, officials hope it will inspire young people.

But Goa is also a former Portuguese colony, and it is 60 years since the state was freed from Portugal.

Critics say local football players should have been honoured, especially since several past and present members of India's national team are Goan.

Very disappointed to hear of the statue of Ronaldo being erected. Learn to take pride in our own icons like Samir Naik and Bruno Coutinho," a local Goan told the IANS news agency.

During the statue's inauguration, some people waved black flags in protest, the Times of India newspaper reported.

Portugal's football team is popular in Goa, and due to its colonial past, many locals have lived in Portugal or have family there.

But some people in the Indian state feel it is insulting to install the statue during the 60th anniversary celebrations of Goa finally winning freedom from Portuguese rule, which happened 14 years after the rest of India became independent from British rule.

"To erect a statue of a Portuguese footballer this year is sacrilegious. We condemn this," IANS quoted right-wing activist Guru Shirodkar as saying.

"There are many freedom fighters in Goa who have been insulted," he added.

Michael Lobo, a local lawmaker in the governing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), tweeted a photo of himself with the statue, saying that it had been installed "at the request of our youth" to inspire them "to take football to greater heights".

Although cricket remains India's most popular sport, football - especially the English Premier League - is a favourite in certain pockets of the country - Kerala in the south, Goa in the west, West Bengal in the east and all of the eight north-eastern states.

Cristiano Ronaldo, who currently plays for Manchester United, is adored by many fans and widely regarded as one of the best players in the history of the game.

The 36-year-old forward has not commented publicly on the statue.

This is not the first time a statue of him has raised eyebrows - in 2017 a bust of Ronaldo was widely mocked and eventually replaced in Madeira airport in Portugal.

Culled: BBC NEWS 


Comments

  1. Hermosa29 December 2021 at 23:56

    Cricket has always been India's most popular sport. They should have erected a well known cricket player instead of Ronaldo 😂😂 Abeg they should remove it 😂😂. I support them biko 😂😂

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Type your comments here

Popular posts from this blog

GIST!

DJ Cuppy wants a special birthday gift from Elon Musk, who recently acquired Twitter.  A message to the World's richest man, Elon Musk from Nigerian disc jockey and music producer, Florence Ifeoluwa Otedola, professionally known as DJ Cuppy, or simply Cuppy below; Cuppy @cuppymusic · Follow It’s my 30th birthday soon! 11/11 So @ElonMusk can you pretty please gift me one free month ($7.99) of #TwitterBlue ??? After this, I promise to keep up with payments forever and ever and everrrrrrrr #CuppyDat 10:06 PM · Nov 9, 2022 14K Reply Share
Post a Comment
Read more

23 children and 54 Others Camped In A Church, In Ondo State, Rescued By The Police

The Ondo State Police Command said a total of 77 people were found locked in the basement of a church; Whole Bible Deliverance Church located at Valentino Area of Ondo town, Ondo State, reports the Punch News. The police said that the victims comprised 23 kids and 54 others including teenagers and adults, males and females. It was alleged that the victims were kidnapped and kept in the underground apartment of the church for over six months before they were rescued. The church’s pastor and some other members are currently in the custody of the command while the police had begun investigation into the matter In a one-minute, 40 seconds video, a voice was heard saying, “There are kidnapped children found in the underground cell of a church in Valentino Area of Ondo. The pastor and some members of the church have been arrested and were also in the police patrol van.’’ One of the parents of the rescued victims, Mr Michael Olorunyomi, said that he left the church because of alleged wrong Bi...
Post a Comment
Read more

In a Flash - Nigerian News Dailies

  The Nation  ● Two soldiers, five others killed as gunmen attack Soludo’s hometown. No fewer than six  persons were  feared killed in Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s Isuofia community, as gunmen engaged security operatives in a gun battle. Those who were said to have lost their lives in the community in  Aguata Local Government Area of Anambra State were two soldiers and four gunmen. The incident, The Nation was told, took place on Saturday morning in Soludo’s Isuofia community.  ● Democrats retain control of U.S. Senate. Despite some very tight races, Democrats have held on to their slim majority in the U.S. Senate. Punch  ● Debate: Presidential candidates lambast FG for corruption, insecurity. The presidential candidates of the African Action Congress, Omoyele Sowore; Action Democratic Party, Yabagi Sani; Social Democratic Party, Adewole Adebayo; and the All Progressives Grand Alliance, Mr Peter Umeadi, on Sunday night promised to retool the security arc...
Post a Comment
Read more