Malabar waiting for Maradona with bated breath

The Malabar region of the state is all set to be transported to a dream world, with the football legend, Maradona, scheduled to descend on the Municipal Jawahar Stadium here on Wednesday morning.

Soccer fans in the entire state and the general public who love football are waiting with bated breath to have a closer look at one of the greatest football heroes the world has ever seen.

The visit of Maradona to Kannur is in connection with the inauguration of a new showroom of the Boby Chemmannur International Jewellers and the Boby Chemmanur Airlines, but the purpose of Maradona’s arrival seem to be none of the business of the thousands of football fans in the region eagerly waiting to see the football hero.

Unprecedented security arrangements are being made by the police in connection with the visit of Maradona, as the flow of fans is expected to start right from Tuesday.

 The security arrangements are being  supervised by ADGP, N Sanker Reddy and IG (Kannur range) Jose George. The expected turn-out of fans, according to official sources, is nearly two lakhs. But the Jawahar Stadium has an estimated capacity of nearly 50,000. But arrangements are being made for the public to view the programmes through closed circuit TV system at several centres.

Maradona, who is scheduled to reach Nedumbassery Airport on Tuesday evening will appear at around 10am at Municipal Jawahar Stadium here. The organisers of the programme have kept the name of the hotel where he is planned to stay secret due to security reasons. He is expected to greet the fans from the stage erected at the middle of the Jawahar Stadium.

The 52nd birth anniversary of the world’s football hero coincides with his visit to Kannur, and he is expected to perform some of his ‘football magics’ on the stage at least to entertain his audience.

 Maradona is scheduled to spend about a hour at the Jawahar Stadium before launching the new showroom of the private jewellers and its airlines company.

Meanwhile, the district headquarters here has come under a police dragnet as a prelude to the security arrangements being made with the arrival of the soccer giant.

Road traffic and the entry of private vehicles to the town here will be regulated from Tuesday night, according to police sources.