Thiruvananthapuram: As sports lovers around the world paid tribute to Diego Maradona, the Kerala government on Thursday announced a two-day mourning in the state’s sports sector as a mark of respect to the Argentine football legend.
The 60-year-old Maradona passed away on Wednesday after suffering a cardiac arrest at his Buenos Aires residence.
State Sports Minister EP Jayarajan said Maradona’s demise has saddened football fans around the world.
“In Kerala also, lakhs of fans could not believe he was no more. So the state sports department decided to observe a two-day mourning from Thursday,” he said.
Maradona had visited Kerala for two days in October 2012 on a private invitation.
One of the most football-crazy states in India, fans had converged in Kannur in thousands to catch a glimpse of the 1986 World Cup winner from close quarters. Many of them had turned up at the stadium three days before the event.
