Cristiano Ronaldo’s statue sparks controversy in Goa. In the Indian state of Goa, a new statue of footballing sensation Cristiano Ronaldo has generated controversy, with citizens objecting to a Portuguese footballer being honored instead of an Indian one.
On Wednesday, Michael Lobo, a minister in the Goa state government, stated that the statue is intended to promote football as a sport and to encourage young people to participate in it.
“When people talk about football, they talk about Cristiano Ronaldo. So we have installed this statue here so boys and girls at a very, very young age to get inspiration, they feel inspired and the love and passion for this game will grow,” he later said.
Instead, protestors carrying black flags came on the site the day after the 400kg (882-pound) statue was unveiled in Goa’s capital, Panaji, according to India’s IANS news agency on Wednesday.
The protesters were enraged not just by the decision to honor a foreign footballer, but also by the fact that the player chosen was a Portuguese player, given that Portugal ruled Goa as a colony for centuries, only leaving 60 years ago.
IANS quoted Lobo as saying that the protesters “just despised” football.
Cristiano Ronaldo‘s statue sparks controversy in Goa. In 2017, a bust of the striker was widely derided and subsequently replaced near the airport on the Portuguese island of Madeira, sparking yet another controversy.
While cricket is still India’s most popular sport, football is more popular in some locations, such as Goa.
Despite its population of almost 1.3 billion people, India was worse at football than several many smaller countries, according to Lobo, who spoke to India’s ANI news agency.
