A large brass statue of living football legend from Portugal – Cristiano Ronaldo – has been installed and unveiled at Calangute in Goa.
The statue of Manchester United star – Cristiano Ronaldo has been installed in Goa “to promote football and inspire more youths to taking up the sport”.
The weight of the statue is around 410 kilograms.
“This is for the first time that the statue of Cristiano Ronaldo has come up in India. This is nothing but to inspire our youth,” Goa minister Michael Lobo told news agency ANI.
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Meanwhile, the statue has created a stir in the coastal state over the footballer’s Portuguese linkage.
Unveiling of the statue triggered black flag protests at the site by right-winged demonstrators, with protesters accusing the authorities in Goa of neglecting local football legends.
“There are some people who have opposed the installation of the statue. Seems they hate football,” Goa minister Michael Lobo said.
He added: “Football belongs to everyone. It is not divided by religion or caste.”