The investigation into the planned visit of Lionel Messi and the Argentine football team to Kerala has concluded amidst ongoing disputes. The Kerala Sports Department has submitted its report to the state government, according to Sports Minister O. J. Janish on Monday.
According to PTI, Sports Minister Janish clarified that this report was prepared by the department's special secretary after reviewing available files and documents. It was forwarded to the government for further action. The minister emphasized that the report is strictly confidential and he cannot disclose its findings at this time.
He added that the government will review the report and make an appropriate decision, which will be communicated to all interested parties. Janish reiterated that the report was submitted to the government in a highly confidential manner, and currently, he can only confirm this.
The Sports Minister noted that the investigation was initiated due to persistent questions regarding why Messi's visit did not materialize despite announcements from the previous administration. Both the media and football fans wanted to know the reason for the alleged match cancellation.
Janish also mentioned that the request for an inquiry came from football enthusiasts. Following this, the department reviewed existing records and deemed a deeper study of the matter necessary. The check aimed to determine whether national rules and procedures were followed for inviting an international team or player to India.
According to the Sports Minister, further investigation and decisions were required that could not be made solely at the level of the sports department, hence the report was sent to the government.
Various statements circulate in the media regarding the sports department's report, some raising serious questions. Reports suggest that the report mentions a presumed lack of a clear agreement for inviting Messi and the Argentine team to Kerala.
However, the Sports Minister declined to comment on these claims and did not confirm any specific findings from the report. He also refused to provide information on the financial aspects related to the report. Thus, the true content of the report will only become clear after the official government decision.
This dispute relates to the tenure of the previous Kerala government. At that time, State Sports Minister V. Abdurrahim announced that Lionel Messi and the Argentine team would visit Kerala. Abdurrahim claimed he visited Spain and discussed the potential visit with Argentine officials. A sponsor also emerged for this event, stating that approximately 126 million rupees had been spent on the process of inviting Messi to Kerala.
Abdurrahim previously assured the State Assembly last year that Messi would come to Kerala. He claimed that necessary permissions had been obtained from the Central Government's Sports Ministry and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). The former minister repeatedly stated that the Argentine team led by Messi would visit Kerala, and that the sponsor had already paid the match fee. However, Abdurrahim later stated that the Argentine team had informed officials about difficulties in arriving in Kerala on schedule.
Abdurrahim refuted the accusations. He stated that the previous LDF (Left Democratic Front) government followed established procedures when attempting to invite the Argentine team for a friendly match in Kerala. In a detailed statement, he indicated that the state government incurred no financial loss due to this proposal. According to him, the match agreement was concluded between the Argentine Football Association (AFA) and the sponsor, which did not create financial liability for the state government.
Abdurrahim added that the initiative to invite the Argentine team, which won the 2022 World Cup, was taken after obtaining necessary approvals from the central government's sports and finance ministries. He also stated that the sponsor received RBI approval to pay AFA, and this payment was made through the state bank to AFA. The former minister noted that such international transactions can only be approved after an application is submitted by the state sports department secretary, making his assertion that the sports department was unaware of this procedure completely false.
According to Abdurrahim, after the state issued the invitation, the Argentine team expressed interest in playing a friendly match in Kerala. Subsequently, two organizations showed interest in sponsoring the event and contacted the government. The initially selected sponsor failed to meet the stipulated conditions. Following this, Reporter Broadcasting Company showed interest in the event and was chosen as the sponsor after reaching an agreement with the Argentine Football Association.
