Lionel Messi confirms news of retirement following Argentina’s victory against Croatia: Report
The seven-time Ballon d'Or winner, Lionel Messi confirmed the news of his retirement following Argentina’s 3-0 victory against Croatia during the first World Cup semi-final in Qatar on Wednesday. According to the report by the Argentine media outlet Diario Deportivo Ole, Messi has said that this year’s FIFA World Cup final will be his last game for Argentina.
The 35-year-old was on target from the penalty spot, and also set up the third goal clinching Wednesday’s victory for his team. Having scored five goals in the tournament so far, Messi also became Argentina's leading goal scorer in World Cups with 11 goals to his name, surpassing Gabriel Batistuta (10) on the list.
"I feel very happy to be able to achieve this, to finish my World Cup journey by playing my last game in a final. It's many years for the next one and I don't think I'll be able to do it. And to finish like this, it's the best," Messi reportedly told Argentine media outlet Diario Deportivo Ole.
Urging his teammates to enjoy the victory after their semi-final win over Croatia, Messi said, "Argentina are, once again, in the World Cup final. Enjoy it!"
"We've been through tough situations, other very good ones. Today we're experiencing something spectacular", he added
Despite being one of the World Cup’s favourite teams in Qatar, Argentina’s loss in the opening group game 1-2 against outsiders Saudi Arabia had given way to the disappointment of football fans with the breaking of their unbeaten record of 36 matches that they held before arriving in Doha.
With Argentina’s entry into the finals after the win against Croatia, football fans have laid all their doubts to rest.
The two-time champions will either take on France or Morocco in the final in Qatar at the Lusail Stadium on Sunday.
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SGPC writes to Mann, seeks ban on 'Emergency' in Punjab a day before release
Amritsar, Jan 16 (PTI): The SGPC on Thursday wrote to Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, seeking a ban on the release of Kangana Ranaut's movie 'Emergency' saying it "tarnishes" the image of Sikhs and "misrepresents" history.
Actor and BJP MP Ranaut's 'Emergency' is slated to release in cinemas on January 17.
In the letter to Mann, Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee chief Harjinder Singh Dhami expressed strong objection to Ranaut's film.
Dhami said that if the film is released in Punjab, it will spark "outrage and anger" in the Sikh community and therefore it is the responsibility of the government to ban its release in the state.
The SGPC, an apex gurdwara body, had earlier also protested the film.
"It has come to our attention that the movie 'Emergency' produced by BJP MP Kangana Ranaut is going to be released on 17th January 2025 in cinemas in different cities of Punjab and the tickets have also started to be booked," its letter to Mann read.
Dhami said the SGPC had also protested the release of the movie in a letter to the Punjab Chief Secretary on November 14 last year.
"But it is sad that the Punjab government has not taken any step till now. If this film is released on January 17, 2025, then it is natural to create outrage and anger in the Sikh world," the current letter read.
Dhami said the SGPC will submit a letter also to all the deputy commissioners in Punjab, seeking a ban on the film in the state.
The SGPC denounced the "character assassination" of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, the Khalistani militant killed in 1984 in a military operation.
"If this film is released in Punjab, we will be forced to strongly oppose it at the state level," Dhami said.
In August last year, the SGPC sent a legal notice to the producers of the 'Emergency' film, alleging that it "misrepresented" the character and history of Sikhs, and asked them to remove the objectionable scenes depicting "anti-Sikh" sentiments.
In the notice, the producers of the film, including Kangana Ranaut, were asked to remove the trailer released on August 14 from all public and social media platforms and tender a written apology to the Sikh community.
The SGPC objected to film writing separate letters to the Minister of Information and Broadcasting and the Central Board of Film Certification.
