Kannur, Kerala,Oct 25: Argentina's football legend Diego Maradona enthralled a packed audience at the Municipal Jawahar Stadium here on Wednesday, as he juggled the ball around, sang, danced, waved, bowed and threw flying kisses.
His presence at the stadium lasted only 24-minutes, enough to throw his fans into a frenzy.
Maradona came in a helicopter to the stadium, and landed close to the eastern galleries.
This was Maradona's second visit to India, his last was a visit to Kolkata in December, 2008.
Maradona had come to open a new branch of a jewellery firm here.
Wearing blue jeans, a pale ash blue shirt and black sneakers, Maradona walked up the steps and went up to the specially erected ramp with folded arms.
The four-time World Cupper and winning captain of the 1986 Argentine squad moved to the four corners of the ramp, waving, bowing and throwing kisses.
A football was rolled down to him, and Maradona displayed his juggling skills before kicking it into the crowd.
There was also a duel with the ball between Maradona and former India skipper I.M. Vijayan, after which Maradona walked straight to Vijayan and hugged him.
“Viva India”, Maradona cried out repeatedly, as he danced and touched his heart with a pumped up right fist.
Maradona then cut a specially crafted cake — in the shape of a football field and a soccer ball thrust into the middle — in an advance celebration of his 52nd birthday (on October 30).
The crowd sang, “Happy birthday, dear Maradona.”
