The statue of Cristiano Ronaldo has caused a stir in India

Calangute, India.- Statue of the Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo Has caused a stir in the South Indian state of Goa, Its people accuse the authorities of being insensitive to honoring a sports star of the former colonial power.

Following the placing of the statue in the city this week, several protesters with black flags gathered at the scene கலங்குட்.

The protesters expressed their anger that the authorities had ignored the Indian sports stars and selected a player from India instead. Portugal, Goa gained independence in 1961.

Mickey Fernandes, a former international from Goa, described the election as “painful” and experienced a “hangover” from Portuguese rule.

“Ronaldo is the best player in the world, but we still have a statue of a player from Goa,” Fernandez told AFP.

Much of present-day India gained independence in 1947. On the other hand, after the armed conflict with the Portuguese colonial powers, Goa became an autonomous region in 1961, governed by the Indian federal government, and was recognized as a whole state of India. In 1987.

Michael Lobo, a regional minister and a member of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), justified the choice, saying it was based on the desire to uplift the youth not only in India but also internationally.

“All the boys and girls who want to become professional footballers will be inspired by people like this Cristiano Ronaldo“, He said.

“If they pursue their dreams with enthusiasm, they can achieve their goal. That is what we (the statue) have on board,” he added.

The remnants of the Portuguese presence are most visible in the area, with local architecture, a significant number of churches and many citizens having names and surnames of Portuguese descent.

Unlike other parts of India, many people in the state prefer football to cricket and the Portuguese team has many fans in international matches. World Cup.

“I follow him (to Portugal) too, but we can’t set up a statue of a foreigner when we have our own soldiers,” Fernandes explained.