FIFA U-17 fever: MLAs, MLCs put best foot forward

Mumbai: Maharashtra lawmakers — both MLAs and MLCs — on Thursday played a friendly football match in the Assembly premises to lend support to the FIFA under-17 Football World Cup to be held in India in October. Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis took everyone by surprise when he assumed responsibility as match commentator. For the almost one hour that he spoke, the CM also succeeded in pulling the participating lawmakers’ legs.

Two teams of players were formed — Sabhapati 11 and Adhyaksha 11. While one team was led by Mumbai BJP president Ashish Shelar, the other was led by BJP minister Sambhaji Patil Nilangekar.

Brimming with enthusiasm, a few lawmakers even participated as extras in the match. Senior members of both Houses, including Speaker Haribhau Bagde, NCP leader Ajit Pawar, and Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan were present to support the players. Students were invited to cheer the participants. The lawmakers, who otherwise wear white shirts, sported blue and yellow jerseys during the match. A ground was prepared for the match along with sitting arrangement for the audience, and football talk rented the air.

Mr Shelar and NCP MLA Narendra Patil served as goalkeepers of the two teams.

The match saw goals as well as penalties, and tempers rose as rules were broken, the ball was handled, and players turned a deaf ear to the referee’s instructions. A fight broke out among the players and education minister Vinod Tawde had to step in to broker peace. Adhyaksha 11 led by Mr Shelar won the match 4-1 after a penalty shootout.

While one team was led by Mumbai BJP president Ashish Shelar, the other team was led by BJP minister Sambhaji Patil Nilangekar.