Revanth warms up before facing Messi in grand finale of T’gana Rising Summit
Telangana CM A Revanth Reddy is training for a match against Messi on Dec 13, highlighting the state's potential at the Telangana Rising Global Summit.
It has been a different ball game for Telangana chief minister A Revanth Reddy for the last two days. He has been rigorously practising football, his favourite sport, at the Marri Channa Reddy Institute of Human Resources Development grounds, along with a bunch of enthusiastic football players.
The 56-year-old chief minister is gearing up to face global soccer giant Lionel Messi of Argentina in an exhibition match at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium at Uppal in Hyderabad, on December 13.
“The event is being planned as part of the grand finale of the Telangana Rising Global Summit, an ambitious programme being organised by the state government to showcase the potential of the state as a global investment destination,” state IT minister D Sridhar Babu said.
Since Sunday, the chief minister has been hitting the practice pitch as late as 11.30 pm, after completing his official duties. A video footage of Revanth Reddy sprinting, passing and keeping pace with players half his age has gone viral on social media.
An official in the chief minister’s office said Revanth Reddy will be sporting the jersey No. 9 and lead his team, named RR9 that will take on Messi and his No. 10 team (LM10).
He said the team RR9 will include promising young footballers selected from Telangana’s government schools, giving the match a symbolic dimension. For many of these students, it is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to play alongside the chief minister and face the world’s greatest footballer.
An official in the chief minister’s office said Revanth Reddy, who was an avid football player in his younger days, has chosen to invite Lionel Messi to Hyderabad, to give a new boost to Brand Hyderabad.
The Argentine football superstar also confirmed his participation in the exhibition match in Hyderabad. He took to his social media platform X on November 28 itself, confirming the addition of Hyderabad to his much-anticipated ‘GOAT Tour to India 2025’ next month.
The World Cup-winning captain will be in Hyderabad after the Kolkata leg -- the first of his tour. He will then proceed to Mumbai and New Delhi where he is expected to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“Thanks for all the love from India! The GOAT tour kicks off in a few weeks’ time!!! I’m happy to share that Hyderabad has been added to my visits to Kolkata, Mumbai and Delhi,” he said. “See you soon India!”
An official in the chief minister’s office said apart from the football match with the Messi team, there will be a grand cultural extravaganza at the venue, in which several celebrities from Tollywood and Bollywood, besides various sports, will take part.
As preparations intensify, Telangana is getting ready to welcome the football legend. But for now, the spotlight is firmly on the chief minister—who is making sure he is match-fit before stepping onto the pitch with Lionel Messi.
