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Kerala Sports Minister V Abdurahiman on Monday lost his temper when journalists asked him about Lionel Messi’s postponed visit to the state. Video footage shows the minister visibly angry, whispering something to a reporter from a Malayalam news channel before pushing away microphones and cameras. CPI(M) MLA AC Moideen, who was standing with the minister at the time, was also seen asking reporters to switch off their microphones. The tense moment came as reporters tried to get a comment from the minister about the sudden change in plans for Messi’s visit. Earlier, the Kerala Sports Department and the match sponsors had announced that Argentina, led by Messi, would play a friendly football match in Kochi on November 17. Fans across the state were eagerly waiting for the event. However, Anto Augustine, the sponsor of the match, later confirmed on social media that the game would be postponed. In his statement on Saturday, Augustine explained that the delay was caused by FIFA taking longer than expected to approve the match. “Considering the delay in receiving FIFA’s permission, after discussions with the Argentine Football Association (AFA), it has been decided to postpone the match from the November window,” he wrote. He said the match in Kerala will be held during the next international window, and the new date will be announced soon. Officials from the Kerala Sports Department said they have not yet received any formal communication regarding the postponement. A department official said they would contact the concerned authorities to verify the change in schedule and confirm the new date for the match.
