A new statue of football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo has sparked controversy in the Indian state of Goa.
The people of Goa oppose a Portuguese footballer being honored in place of an Indian player.
Michael Lobo, a Goa state government minister, tweeted that the statue was meant to promote football as a sport and inspire young people to play.
Instead, the day after the unveiling of the 400-kilogram statue, protesters carrying black flags converged on the site to protest, according to Indian news agency IANS on Wednesday.
Not only were the protesters angry at the decision to honor a foreign footballer, but also that the choice had been a Portuguese player.
This was seen as a particular affront, given that the country ruled Goa as a colony for centuries, only leaving it 60 years ago.
Lobo also told IANS that the protesters simply hate football.
While cricket remains by far the most popular sport in India overall, in some areas that were not colonized by the British, such as Goa, football is enjoying greater popularity.
Despite a population of over 1.3 billion, India was worse at football than many other much smaller countries.
(dpa / NAN)
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