The Passing Of An Icon

My favorite sport is soccer and it influenced a huge part of my life. So it was a shock to learn that one of the most famous names in the game passed away at the age of 60. It's none other than Diego Maradona.

There's always the endless debate in any sport on who is the greatest of all time. Diego certainly ranked high in the list of soccer greats. I remember watching soccer in the late 80s and what a glorious era that was, even better than what's available now. The soccer pitches were typically cut up during a game, muddy balls bounced with awkward twists and metal studded boots meant a potential major injury any moment. Yet, the fans remained fanatical and acted as the 12th man on the pitch. That was the time when yellow card seldom appeared, much less the red one. Shirt tugging, incorrect referee decisions and cynical fouls were quite liberal with most not caught on camera due to the lack of video technology coverage. Despite these imperfections, there was always going to be a few stars who shined against the odds. The ones that made the most impression on me was Diego and some others.

I had the good fortune to watch Diego put on magical displays, dribbling with trickery and leaving many defenders behind. You get the sense of excitement when the ball is with him, I can't think of anyone close enough, perhaps Ronaldo (the original one) but even he's a shade behind. Diego's life story is an inspiration and I could relate to him due to our similar physical statures. I also started playing as a midfielder and had quite a good engine to run all over the pitch. That's where the comparison ends as he was obviously so much more gifted. But I learnt one thing from him. His fearlessness rubbed off on me whenever I stepped onto the pitch, going against bigger sized opponents and always up for an aerial or sliding challenge. Thankfully, I only suffered a few broken toe nails, sprains and minor stitches. The last time I saw Diego on TV was the World Cup game versus Greece where he scored a good goal (only good because he had so many superlative goals). It was held in the USA and I watched it live in the morning. Too bad the children of this generation never got to witness the more thrilling times of the 80s and 90s.

Even when he retired, there was always much news surrounding Diego wherever he goes. In a way, he never left the glittering lights that his career brought. He may have left the room but shall never be forgotten. He was just human, as imperfect as the game he played, and to me, the Greatest of All Time. Ciao Diego!

Tip: Any Malbec to toast the life of this soccer superstar