Messi visit row: Kerala sports department submits probe report to govt

The Kerala sports department has submitted its inquiry report into the controversy surrounding the proposed visit of football legend Lionel Messi and the Argentina team to the state during the previous government's tenure, Sports Minister O J Janeesh said on Monday, Aug 10.

The report, prepared by the Sports Department Special Secretary after examining files available with the department, has been handed over to the government for further action, the minister told reporters.

Confirming the development, Janeesh said the report was confidential and declined to divulge further details at this stage, adding that the government would take an appropriate decision on the findings. "The report has been submitted to the government in a highly confidential manner. I can divulge only this much at the moment. The government will take an appropriate decision on it and inform everyone," he said.

The minister said the department had initiated the inquiry in view of repeated questions from the media and football fans over why the earlier government's announcement about bringing Messi to Kerala did not materialise. "Football lovers had also demanded an inquiry. When we conducted necessary examinations, we felt that further investigation was required," Janeesh said.

The minister said the inquiry also examined whether the rules and regulations currently in force in the country for bringing an international team or player into India had been complied with, and whether the rules governing the state government's interventions in the matter were followed.

As further examination was required and the matter demands decisions beyond the Sports Department, the report was forwarded to the government, Janeesh said.

Media reports have claimed the report contains serious findings, including an alleged lack of a clear agreement for bringing Messi and the Argentina team to Kerala. The minister, however, did not comment on the specific findings or their financial aspects, citing the confidential nature of the report.

The controversy dates back to the tenure of former Sports Minister V Abdurahiman, who had announced that Messi and the Argentina team would visit Kerala. Abdurahiman had earlier claimed he had travelled to Spain and held discussions with Argentina authorities regarding the proposed visit. A sponsor had also come forward claiming it had spent around Rs 126 crore in connection with bringing Messi to the state.

The former minister had assured the Assembly last year that Messi would visit Kerala, and said the Centre and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) had granted the necessary permissions. "In connection with Messi's visit, we have received two permissions from the Centre — one from the Reserve Bank and the other from the Union Sports Ministry," he had told the Assembly.

Abdurahiman had also repeatedly told the media that the Messi-led Argentina team would visit Kerala as announced by the government, and claimed the sponsor had already paid the match fee for the proposed event. However, he later said the foreign team had informed authorities it was facing difficulties visiting the state at the scheduled time.

Janeesh said the government's focus was not merely on bringing Messi to Kerala but on creating "many Messis" in the state by developing football talent.