KANNUR: Football legend Diego Maradona Wednesday launched Kerala's first Air Taxi (Chopper Taxi) services --Boby Chemmanur airlines-- and inaugurated the Boby Chemmanur International Group's 25th jewellery showroom here.

The function was held at the Football stadium. Mardona reached the Police Ground, about 300 m from the stadium, in a chopper at 1028 hrs and flagged off the first service of the air taxi, carrying Home Minister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan as the first passenger. After flagging off the air taxi services, Maradona arrived at stadium by road, dressed in blue jeans and shirt, not accepting the organisers request to wear Kerala's traditional attire (dhoti) for the function.

After greeting the crowd of around 30,000 including soccer fans from Malabar, Kasargod to Ernakulam districts, Maradona spent about 20 minutes in an open air stage. He shook his legs for a song, sung a song and displayed football tricks like heading the ball each other along with former Indian Captain I M Vijayan.

He also 'kicked' several balls to soccer fans who had assembled at the stadium, including players of Football Friend Coaching Centre (FFCC in Kannur).

'We love India'. 'I love Kerala', Maradona told the packed audience and cut a 35 kg cake, which was designed like a ground with a football in the middle. The cake was arranged by the organizers to celebrate his 52nd birthday which falls on October 30.

As he cut the cake, the frenzied soccer fans shouted 'Happy Birthday Diego". Later, Maradona inaugurated the jewellery shop at Bank road and returned back to the hotel. He would leave to Karipur at 1800 hrs this evening and take a flight to Dubai, organisers said.

Football

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