Now Reading: Bengal government assures full support for Brazil-India friendly
-
01
Bengal government assures full support for Brazil-India friendly
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has promised full government backing for the October 3 friendly between India and Brazil at Kolkata's Salt Lake Stadium, AIFF president Kalyan Chaubey said. The assurance…
The Story in Brief
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has promised full government backing for the October 3 friendly between India and Brazil at Kolkata's Salt Lake Stadium, AIFF president Kalyan Chaubey said. The assurance comes after crowd management worries following chaotic scenes during Lionel Messi's visit last December.
Brazil, ranked fifth in the world, will be the highest-ranked opponent India has ever faced since FIFA rankings began. The Brazilian football confederation confirmed the fixture, calling it an unprecedented chapter. India, ranked 138th, has struggled to arrange matches against top sides, Chaubey said.
The Indian Opinion
The predictable narrative will pit football crazy Bengal versus bureaucratic bungling, or celebrate this as a triumph of Indian diplomacy. Neither captures the real test: can the AIFF and state government together manage a proper FIFA-standard match, something India has rarely done with a top-five side? The crowd control failures during Messi's visit are a legitimate concern, not a political stick. The only number that matters will be the official attendance and the absence of security breaches on October 3.
Sources (2): newindianexpress.com, thehindu.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.
