Kolkata: Football legend Pele is currently on a three-day tour of Kolkata and has expectedly taken the city by storm. The age of the septuagenarian footballer notwithstanding, his popularity as 'The King' showed how he still rules the hearts of his fans.
The 'King of football' is in the City of Joy after nearly four decades and the city, which is crazy about the beautiful game, is ecstatic.
Pele’s presence in the midst of the second season of the Indian Super League (ISL) has not only added glamour to the tournament, many believe it would encourage young footballers competing for limelight when their icon sits in the galleries at Salt Lake stadium on Tuesday to watch them play.
Talking to media, Pele said he has no desire to become the president of FIFA, the crisis-ridden world football body. But while interacting with former cricket captain and Atletico de Kolkata (ATK) team co-owner Sourav Ganguly, who the King labelled as 'The Prince', the master did have a thing or two to share about development of football in India.
Unlike the last time back in 1977, when the legend represented the New York Cosmos team to play an exhibition match against the local powerhouse Mohun Bagan, where the visitors were held to a 2-2 draw, Pele’s current three-day visit to Kolkata entails several public appearances, being a guest at the ATK – Kerala Blasters match at the Salt Lake stadium on Tuesday and even inaugurating a Durga Puja pandal in south Kolkata.
The current generation may have missed watching the King, or 'O Rei' as he is more popularly called, in action unlike those who watched him play in Kolkata back in 1977. But they surely haven’t missed out on the opportunity of interacting with this giant of Brazil up close and personal and add to their most cherished memories of life.
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