They weren't up for a windfall even after the trophy but life was certain to get a lot better as some sponsors and state governments stepped up to lift them financially.
Stating that she was shocked and deeply disturbed by the 'mismanagement' at the Lionel Messi event in Kolkata, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday announced the constitution of a high-level committee to probe the incident.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has ordered a high-level probe into the alleged mismanagement at the Lionel Messi event in Kolkata, after fans were unable to catch a glimpse of the football star.
Argentine superstar footballer Lionel Messi's touchdown in Kolkata in the early hours of Saturday sent the city into a frenzy.
Lionel Messi lit up the Arun Jaitley Stadium as the final leg of his G.O.A.T India Tour got underway in Delhi on Monday.
The TMC and BJP have engaged in a blame game following a chaotic Lionel Messi event at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata, which saw spectators storming the field and the main organiser being arrested for alleged mismanagement.
Eight-time Ballon d'Or winner Lionel Messi is not scheduled to play serious football on the 'G.O.A.T. India Tour 2025'.
Messi's last visit with the Argentina team to India was back in 2011, when they faced Venezuela in a friendly match at Kolkata's iconic Salt Lake Stadium.
India's footballing future was discussed in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday by Congress member Jose K Mani, as he cited tiny Dutch-Caribbean island Curacao's World Cup qualification to ask Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya about the long-term plan for sport in the country that is on a downward spiral.
For long stretches, the atmosphere felt less Mumbai and more Camp Nou. Chants of 'Barca... Barca' and 'Suarez... Suarez' echoed through the stands as Messi interacted with youngsters, celebrities and former India football captain Sunil Chhetri.
Lionel Messi's much-hyped visit to the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata on Saturday lasted 22 minutes, just enough to underline everything that is wrong in Indian football and the state administration's mismanagement.
Indian football remained in a state of terminal decline after experiencing arguably its darkest phase in a year marked by severe administrative crisis, court hearings, financial issues, absence of domestic leagues, and a steep decline in performance of the senior men's team.
Political parties in West Bengal, including the ruling TMC and opposition BJP, have condemned the organizers of an event featuring Lionel Messi in Kolkata after it descended into chaos due to spectators' inability to properly view the football star. Demands for action and accountability have been made.
The Perth Stadium curator has promised the wicket will be green, fast and bouncy but Stokes offered no thoughts on whether England would attack with four quicks or pick the specialist spinner, Shoaib Bashir, in their 11.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday accepted Aroop Biswas's resignation as the sports minister in the wake of the controversy over the mismanagement of football icon Lionel Messi's event last week, a senior leader of the ruling Trinamool Congress said.
India's live events scene is hitting a high note. With global performers adding the country to their tour maps and the government aiming to double the concert economy, hotels in key metro cities are bracing for sold-out weekends. Travel operators, too, are curating packages built entirely around concerts.
Travellers are turning concerts into full-fledged weekend getaways, giving rise to the 'gigcation' -- a short, experience-led micro-holiday.
From the lad with spiked hair lifting the U19 World Cup to the statesman in whites scoring one final ton -- Virat Kohli's journey is one of relentless ambition, transformation, and enduring legacy.
Novak Djokovic's steady progress in the last few seasons is a testament to his mental strength and physical conditioning.
Chess great Magnus Carlsen is launching a world Freestyle Chess tour as the variant of the game, also known as Chess960, is gaining in popularity, the world number one announced on Friday.
American great Pete Sampras said he does not expect any player to match Novak Djokovic's feat of winning the men's year-end world number one ranking seven times.
Indian batting stalwart Virat Kohli and Australia's Steve Smith would be more than keen to stamp their authority in the upcoming Border-Gavaskar series in which runs would be "at a premium", feels Australian great Matthew Hayden.
The Tahuna Golf Club in New Zealand is bringing to an end more than half a century of tradition by getting rid of the flock of sheep that has long kept its fairways trim.
Diljit's songs, such as Patiala Pegg and Panchatara, were specifically mentioned in the complaint.
'...whether he is a top player or not, it doesn't matter.' 'If I go by a player's name I won't be able to bowl at my best.' 'For me he is just a batter, and my only focus is where I need to land the ball.'
Sinner remains the man to beat at Melbourne Park even as doping officials seek a two-year ban for the world number one for failing two drugs tests last March.
Mhambrey further said Kohli's work ethics have rubbed on the young cricketers in Indian team.
Rafael Nadal's decision to skip the US Open because of health concerns has added another twist to the intriguing three-way battle for the most career men's Grand Slam titles and, in many eyes, the title of Greatest Of All Time (GOAT). Had the 34-year-old Spaniard managed to retain the title he won in a five-set thriller against Daniil Medvedev last year, he would have joined Roger Federer at the top of the list with 20 titles. Instead, his decision has cleared the path for 33-year-old Novak Djokovic to edge to within one of Nadal's Grand Slam tally with a fourth title at Flushing Meadows and 18 in total.
Just how do movie stars spend their week? While some are travelling on film assignments or pleasure, others brave the Mumbai summer at home.
A major surprise in the 2024 Google search trends was the absence of iconic names like Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, M S Dhoni, and Virat Kohli from the list of the top 10 most-searched athletes.
Nick Kyrgios is providing commentary by the court for ESPN and trading barbs with critics on social media. The Australian has not been shy to express an opinion.
Mongolia can take a lifetime to happen but rewards the intrepid traveller with enduring memories of a surreal, delightful land.
'He just laughs all the time. He doesn't really say much, he's just always laughing at you. I don't know what's so funny, it must be my batting.'
History has not seen a cricketing rivalry as fierce as this this century, every ball bowled every run taken, coming with no quarter given. Ahead of India's five Test tour of Australia, Norma Astrid Godinho/Rediff.com takes a walk down memory lane, recounting India's sojourns Down Under from 1947 to 2021, in a 4-part series.
Only James Anderson, Muttiah Muralitharan and Imran Khan have taken more Test wickets against India, earning Nathan Lyon significant praise from Indian great Sachin Tendulkar.
Nadal pulled off his greatest escape to deny Daniil Medvedev again, less than three years after leaving the Russian heartbroken in five sets at the 2019 US Open final.
Government was watching Gandhiji's mood to know if he had cooled down. They found out from his letters and utterances that he was the same old firebrand and even more determined than before.
But the man known as "Gazza" to his team mates has become much more than a sum of his statistics, and seems to add a new string to his bow every season.
Dhruv Munjal on why Novak Djokovic may yet win that highly contested title.
Wednesday's Vikravandi by-election has become a referendum on the Stalin government, notes N Sathiya Moorthy.
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