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#Giant #Messi #statue #Kolkata #removed #due #safety #concerns">Giant Messi statue in Kolkata to be removed due to safety concerns A giant statue of football superstar Lionel Messi erected in India to mark his visit last year is “swaying in the wind” and will be removed, a lawmaker told AFP on Wednesday.
Workers have scrambled up the 21-metre (70-foot) golden-coloured statue in the eastern city of Kolkata in West Bengal, throwing ropes around its shoulders to secure it.
The sculpture showing the 38-year-old Argentina and Inter Miami star raising the World Cup trophy was unveiled during Messi’s so-called GOAT Tour of India in December.
But West Bengal state legislator Sharadwat Mukherjee said it was no longer safe.
“The statue of the Argentine football legend in the city of Kolkata was found unsafe by engineers of the West Bengal government,” he said.
“We have noticed that the statue is swaying in the wind.”
Workers on Wednesday used ropes to attempt to secure the statue, which looms over a busy road.
Mukherjee said it was not clear when it would be brought down.
“Removal has proved easier said than done,” he said. “We are planning to remove the statue at the earliest opportunity.”
He did not say whether the statue would be re-erected at another site.
Argentina is set to begin its World Cup campaign on June 16 against Algeria in Kansas City.
Messi has not formally confirmed his plans to play in the World Cup, but is widely expected to return for what would be a record-matching sixth appearance at the tournament.
He remains the side’s talisman for the defence of the title it won in Qatar four years ago.
India—a nation of 1.4 billion—is a cricket powerhouse, but struggles on the football pitch and is 142nd on the FIFA rankings.
Football, however, is the country’s second favourite sport, according to research by data company Nielsen released on Wednesday.
Published on May 27, 2026
A giant statue of football superstar Lionel Messi erected in India to mark his visit…
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#SAFF #Womens #Championship #India #drawn #defending #champion #Bangladesh #Pakistan #travel">SAFF Women’s Championship: India drawn with defending champion Bangladesh; Pakistan to not travel
India has been drawn alongside defending champion Bangladesh and the Maldives in the upcoming SAFF Women’s Championship, set to be played from May 24 to June 7 in Goa.
The five-time champion will host the tournament for the first time in a decade, with six teams competing for the title at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Fatorda.
SAFF Women’s Championship groups:
Group A: India, Bangladesh, Maldives
Group B: Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bhutan
The top two teams from each group will qualify for the semifinals, which will be played as single-leg knockouts to determine the finalists.
“The SAFF Championship will be played in Goa, which is one of the major football hubs in India. I thank the AIFF (All India Football Federation) for its cooperation in ensuring all arrangements are in place,” said Purushottam Kattel, General Secretary of the South Asian Football Federation, to Sportstar.
“We reached out to all seven FAs and finally closed in on India. All but one team — Pakistan — received clearance to travel. We are looking forward to a good tournament. Unfortunately, Pakistan did not get clearance from the government.”
The SAFF Championship will be India’s first competitive tournament since the AFC Asian Cup 2026, where it exited in the group stage. Since then, it has played friendlies against Kenya and Malawi, beating the latter in Africa.
“South Asian women’s teams have been doing well recently. India and Bangladesh played in the Asian Cup, and Nepal also came close. So, we are expecting quite competitive matches,” Kattel added.
Despite being the most successful team in the competition, India has not dominated the last two editions, with Bangladesh and Nepal contesting the finals in both 2022 and 2024.
India’s last SAFF Women’s Championship title came in 2019, when it defeated host Nepal 3-1 in the final.
Published on Apr 22, 2026
India has been drawn alongside defending champion Bangladesh and the Maldives in the upcoming SAFF Women’s Championship, set to be played from May 24 to June 7 in Goa.
The five-time champion will host the tournament for the first time in a decade, with six teams competing for the title at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Fatorda.
SAFF Women’s Championship groups:
Group A: India, Bangladesh, Maldives
Group B: Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bhutan
The top two teams from each group will qualify for the semifinals, which will be played as single-leg knockouts to determine the finalists.
“The SAFF Championship will be played in Goa, which is one of the major football hubs in India. I thank the AIFF (All India Football Federation) for its cooperation in ensuring all arrangements are in place,” said Purushottam Kattel, General Secretary of the South Asian Football Federation, to Sportstar.
“We reached out to all seven FAs and finally closed in on India. All but one team — Pakistan — received clearance to travel. We are looking forward to a good tournament. Unfortunately, Pakistan did not get clearance from the government.”
The SAFF Championship will be India’s first competitive tournament since the AFC Asian Cup 2026, where it exited in the group stage. Since then, it has played friendlies against Kenya and Malawi, beating the latter in Africa.
“South Asian women’s teams have been doing well recently. India and Bangladesh played in the Asian Cup, and Nepal also came close. So, we are expecting quite competitive matches,” Kattel added.
Despite being the most successful team in the competition, India has not dominated the last two editions, with Bangladesh and Nepal contesting the finals in both 2022 and 2024.
India’s last SAFF Women’s Championship title came in 2019, when it defeated host Nepal 3-1 in the final.
Published on Apr 22, 2026
India has been drawn alongside defending champion Bangladesh and the Maldives in the upcoming SAFF…