Pele May Visit India Again After 38 Years
Pele could grace the closing ceremony of the Subroto Cup football tournament on October 16. He played an exhibition match in Kolkata in 1977.
Thirty-eight years after he last visited India, the king of football, Pele, could be in New Delhi in October. The Brazilian legend, who played an exhibition match against Mohun Bagan in Kolkata on September 24, 1977, may be the chief guest during the Subroto Cup final on October 16.(Pele Calls for 'Honest People' After Blatter Quits)
Turning out for Cosmos in front of a jam-packed 100,000 fans at the Eden Gardens, Pele scored from the spot in a 2-2 draw. It was the first time, Kolkata saw a slew of classy World Cuppers as Pele was the highlight of a team that also had Germany's Franz Beckenbauer and Brazilian defender Carlos Alberto.
The 73-year-old Pele, a worldwide ambassador of football, is being invited for the closing ceremony of India's most famous age-group tournament. According to Air Marshall BBP Sinha of the Subroto Cup organizing committee, discussion with Pele's management team is on.(Pele Hospitalised in Sao Paulo)
"Efforts are being made to bring Pele, but the organising committee would have to raise substantial money to bring the Brazilian legend on a short visit to India," Sinha said. In 1977, Pele arrived as part of Cosmos team that was on an Asian tour.
More than 100 school teams, including those from seven foreign countries, will take part in the tournament starting September 10.
Teams from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, South Korea, Sweden, Brazil and Ukraine will play in three age groups - boys under-14, boys under-17 and girls under-17.
The prize money of the boys under-14 category will be Rs 2.5 lakh while those of boys under-17 and girls under-17 will be Rs 3.5 lakh each.
Another Brazilian legend Roberto Carlos, now a part of the Indian Super League, will be present in the opening ceremony, according to organisers.