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Hosting U-17 World Cup will help football in India: Valderrama
Kolkataa, Sep 9 (IANS) Colombian football legend Carlos Valderrama on Saturday said hosting the FIFA U-17 World Cup will help the sport grow in the country and it’s a good start.
“Hosting this tournament will help the football in the country. It’s a very good start, Valderrama said during the promotion of Argentine legend Diego Maradona’s “Match for Unity” involving former India cricket captain Sourav Ganguly scheduled on October 2.
The former Colombian skipper who has represented his country in three World Cups (1990, 1994 and 1998) was attending a football workshop.
Asked about Colombia’s U-17 team which will take part in the World Cup starting in India from October 6, Valderrama said: “Colombia has a good team. They will come to India and see the beautiful country with lot of passion for football.”
Valderrama advised the budding footballers to enjoy the game and not force anything on them.
“Kids should enjoy playing football. They should not force anything on them. It should come to them naturally,” he said.
On Friday Valderrama, three-time South American footballer of the year, visited city soccer giants Mohun Bagan and also went to the Eden Gardens where he exchanged pleasantries with Ganguly.
–IANS
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Sunil Gavaskar gives his opinion of GT allrounder Rahul Tewatia
The left-handed batsman from Haryana is garnering praise from all quarters for the way he’s finishing games regularly in the most exciting IPL season.
Gavaskar reckons Tewatia’s whirlwind knock in Sharjah (in IPL 2020) where he smashed West Indies pacer Sheldon Cottrell for five sixes in an over, gave him the confidence that he belongs to the big stage.
Speaking on Cricket Live on Star Sports, Gavaskar said, “That assault on Sheldon Cottrell in Sharjah gave him the belief to do the impossible and the confidence that he belongs here. We saw the impossible (he did with the bat) the other day as well. There’s no twitching or touching the pads (which shows a batter’s nervousness) when he bats in the death overs. He just waits for the ball to be delivered and plays his shots. He’s got all the shots in the book, but most importantly his temperament to stay cool in a crisis is brilliant.”
Gavaskar has also nicknamed the 28-year-old cricketer the ‘ice-man’ and lauded Tewatia’s ability to remain unruffled during the tense moments.