The Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) will pay a tribute to legendary footballer Pele, who died recently, by showing footage of his artistry on giant screens during the second ODI between India and Sri Lanka at the Eden Gardens on Thursday. On September 24, 1977, Pele came to the Eden Gardens to play for New York Cosmos Club against Mohun Bagan.
CAB to pay tribute to Pele
The surviving members of the Mohun Bagan team have also been invited for the ODI. Former Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara will inaugurate the match by ringing the bell. CAB's joint secretary Debabrata Das said a laser show has been arranged during the innings break. The demand for tickets was lukewarm but it increased after Virat Kohli's brilliant century in Guwahati in the first ODI on Tuesday.
The city's mayor has already looked into the Eden's security measures. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has been invited, and so are other dignitaries. Preparations are underway to pay tribute to Pele in the India-Sri Lanka match and the test runs were done on the giant screen.
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Pele passes away at 82
Pele, Brazil's legendary footballer passed away at the age of 82 on December 29 last month. The three-time World Cup winner had been hospitalised for over a month with multiple ailments. Pele had undergone treatment for colon cancer since 2021. Widely regarded as one of football’s greatest players, he spent nearly two decades enchanting fans and dazzling opponents as the game's most prolific scorer with Brazilian club Santos and the Brazil national team.
Pele’s coffin arrived in Santos on January 2, where thousands of mourners came to pay their respects at the ground of his former club - some even queued overnight. On January 3, supporters' club Torcida Jovem gathered outside the Urbano Caldeira stadium ahead of the casket leaving. Fans waved huge black and white banners, the colours of Santos Football Club. Many wore the number 10 shirt that Pele made so famous.
