How would football crazy fans react when one of their biggest idols comes visiting? Scream, shout and go all out? All that and more, as Ronaldinho himself had to say about his recent visit to Kerala.
Picture this – the Karipur airport at Kozhikode was witness to crowds the size it has never seen, when Ronaldinho landed there on the 24th of January. The local authorities had a tough time trying to contol the crowds as they were vying to get a glimpse of their favourite. Even as they managed to whisk him away from the airport, a procession of over 500 bikes accompanied his car to the resort where he was to be put up!
Ronaldinho Image courtesy: facebook
This sort of adoration from north Kerala comes as no surprise, given how popular football is here. Local tournaments are festive occassions, and football is a clear winner over cricket in these parts of Kerala. Ronaldinho, one of the biggest names in football today, was in Kerala as the brand ambassador of the Nagjee international football club. He was the focus of all eyes at the opening ceremony of the Nagjee international football tournament, which drew huge crowds. He also visited a local school while he was there.
Overwhelmed by the love and infectious enthusiasm, the star himself posted two videos of the adoring crowds on his facebook page.
There was also an incident that the authorities will most likely want to forget as soon as possible – when a traffic light post collapsed just before the car in which the footballer was travelling was to pass by. Fans across the world have touted this as a ‘lucky escape’. While there have been many goal posts that Ronaldinho has targetted over the years, this one probably was the first post to target him!
