I hope football has bright future in India: Messi after "amazing" tour
New Delhi (PTI): Lionel Messi hoped that football has a "bright future" in India and expressed gratitude for the "generous hospitality" that he got here during a whirlwind three-day tour, which had thousands of fans jostling to catch a glimpse of the Argentine genius in four different cities.
Messi, after extending his stay by a day to visit the Anant Ambani-founded Vantara wildlife rescue, rehabilitation and conservation centre in Jamnagar, left for his base in Miami on Wednesday.
Taking to Instagram, the 38-year-old posted a one-minute highlights clip of the tour, featuring his interactions with Indian cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar, Bollywood actor Kareena Kapoor Khan and several young footballers.
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"What amazing visits to Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, and Kolkata. Thank you for the warm reception, generous hospitality, and all the feelings of love with which you surrounded me throughout my tour.
"I hope that football has a bright future in India," he wrote underneath the video.
His good wishes come at a time when Indian football finds itself at its lowest ebb.
The domestic season has been brought to a halt for the want of a commercial partner and the national team's fortunes have been in a free-fall following a string of poor results.
An ongoing court case over administrative issues has further deepened policy paralysis.
The superstar striker, who is among the most recognisable and adored sportspersons in the world, did not play any competitive football during the trip.
He was accompanied by Uruguay great and close friend Luis Suarez and Argentina teammate Rodrigo de Paul during the tour.
Messi made stadium appearances for ticketed events in all the four cities starting with Kolkata, where things turned ugly after politicians and officials surrounded him, denying fans, who had paid thousands for a seat, a clear view of the icon.
Agitated by this, the gathered spectators indulged in vandalism at the Salt Lake Stadium, prompting Messi to be whisked away sooner than the originally planned time.
However, his visits to Hyderabad, Mumbai and Delhi passed off smoothly as he charmed fans by posing for pictures and showcasing some of his warm-up routines besides playing briefly with young players.
"...we carry all this love with us, and we will definitely return, hopefully one day to play a match or on another occasion, but we will definitely return to visit India," he said after the final leg of the tour in Delhi.
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ISRO, TIFR sign MoU for collaboration in space science, tech, exploration
Bengaluru (PTI): In a landmark event for India's space exploration programme, ISRO on Monday signed a Memorandum of Understanding with TIFR for scientific collaboration in the domain of space science, technology, and exploration, the space agency said.
The signing ceremony took place at ISRO Headquarters here, and was presided over by the space agency's Chairman V Narayanan.
In a statement, ISRO said that this event marks a historical milestone, as it establishes the formal framework for scientific collaboration between ISRO and Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, organisations that have shared an "umbilical" relationship in space sciences for over several decades.
"While TIFR played a critical role in the formative days of the Indian space programme through early balloon experiments and mission-specific partnerships like AstroSat, this MoU provides a structured multi-year collaboration in ground and space-based scientific exploration of the outer space," the space agency said.
ISRO Chairman Narayanan in his presidential address stated that this MoU bridges a critical gap in the formal framework for science collaboration.
He highlighted that India is entering an era where science extends to exoplanetary study and the development of several national capabilities.
Collaboration between ISRO and TIFR would facilitate the materialisation of the nation's target to achieve excellence in space science in the global arena.
Ganesh Pillai, Scientific Secretary, ISRO recalled TIFR's role as the "cradle of Indian space scientists," noting its pivotal contributions to the early day's of the country's space programme, which paved the way to TIFR's contributions to the AstroSat mission.
Jayaram Chengalur, Director, TIFR emphasised that the institute will leverage national space and ground-based technological capabilities to propose projects that translate fundamental scientific knowledge into tangible advancements aligned with national initiatives.
According to ISRO, this partnership significantly enhances India's might in space exploration by fostering a seamless pipeline between academic excellence and space infrastructure. By co-developing indigenous hardware and joint testing facilities, the MoU reduces dependency on foreign entities.
Furthermore, this collaboration ensures that joint activities will place India at the forefront of global fundamental space science, it added.
