World Cup mania: 9,000 football-crazy Kolkatans visit Qatar, more to travel ahead of final match
Kolkata, Dec 11: The euphoria surrounding this year's FIFA World Cup has been "unprecedented" in football-mad Kolkata, with nearly 9,000 fans having already travelled to Qatar to witness the showpiece event and many more slated to arrive in the next few days, officials said.
People are still making queries regarding ticket and accommodation availability and travel packages for Qatar, days ahead of the semi-finals and the final next week, they said.
"Around 10,000-12,000 football fans have travelled to Qatar from eastern India so far, including close to 9,000 people from Kolkata. People are still very keen to make it to the semis and the final, and we expect at least another 1,500 Kolkatans to visit the Arab country," Anil Punjabi, eastern region head of Travel Agents' Federation of India (TAFI), told PTI.
Though the craze for the business end of the world cup has died down to an extent following the exit of giants such as Brazil and Portugal, Argentina's advance to the semi-finals is reason enough for many of Kolkata's football enthusiasts to pack their bags for Qatar.
"It's all about Messi this time as it will be his last world cup. I had made up my mind months ago that if Argentina progresses to the semis, I will head to Qatar. Who knows, I might actually see Messi lifting the coveted trophy, which would be an unreal experience," Subham Mitra, a resident of Lake Gardens, said.
Mitra said he will depart for Doha (Qatar capital) in the early hours of Monday. The average return fare to Doha costs around Rs 55,000-60,000 at present.
Argentina will take on Croatia in the first semi-final on Wednesday.
"Kolkata's football frenzy for this edition of the world cup has been unprecedented because of two main factors -- direct flights to Qatar, and the urge to travel more post the COVID-19 pandemic, especially during major global events," Punjabi said.
The senior TAFI official also said Qatar will turn into a popular travel destination for people of east India, courtesy of the world cup.
"Qatar wasn't among the sought-after tourist spots before the mega event, but the sporting spectacle has added great value to the place and we expect that more and more people will add it to their must-visit list," Punjabi added.
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Correspondents' dinner firing: World leaders say political violence has no place in democracy
Washington (PTI): World leaders expressed relief that US President Donald Trump, First Lady Melania and other guests were unharmed after a shooting incident at the White House Correspondents' dinner here on Saturday night and asserted that political violence has no place in a democracy.
Reacting to the incident, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was relieved that President Trump, First Lady Melania and Vice President J D Vance were safe and unharmed after a security incident at the White House Correspondents' dinner in Washington.
Modi said violence has no place in democracy and must be unequivocally condemned.
"Relieved to learn that President Trump, the First Lady and Vice President are safe and unharmed following the recent security incident at a Washington DC hotel. I extend my best wishes for their continued safety and well-being. Violence has no place in a democracy and must be unequivocally condemned," Modi said in a post on X.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who has had frequent run-ins with Trump, described the shooting incident at the Washington Hilton hotel as a “disturbing event”.
“I am relieved that the President, the First Lady, and all guests are safe following reports of gunfire at the White House correspondents’ dinner in Washington tonight. Political violence has no place in any democracy, and my thoughts are with all those who have been shaken by this disturbing event,” Carney said in a post on X.
President of the Republic of Korea, Lee Jae Myung asserted that political violence “can never be justified under any circumstances.”
“The Government of the Republic of Korea firmly opposes all forms of violence and extremism that erode the values of democracy and the rule of law,” he said in a social media post.
Prime Minister of Japan Sanae Takaichi said, “Violence must never be tolerated anywhere in the world”
“I am relieved to hear that President Trump is safe following the terrifying gunfire. Violence must never be tolerated anywhere in the world,” she posted on social media.
Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu called the incident “an attack on all the democracies.”
"This wasn't just an attack on Donald Trump. This was an attack on a candidate for the presidency of the United States. This was an attack on America. It was an attack on democracy, it was an attack on all the democracies,” he posted on social media.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said it was “good that President Trump and his wife are safe following the recent events”.
“We send them our respect. Violence must never be the way,” she said.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he was pleased to hear all attendees were safe. “We applaud the work of the Secret Service and law enforcement agencies for their swift action,” he said in a statement.
Delcy Rodriguez, the acting President of Venezuela following the capture of Nicolas Maduro by US forces, condemned the attack against Trump.
"We extend our best wishes to them and to all attendees of the Correspondent’s dinner. Violence is never an option for those who uphold the values of peace," she wrote on X.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also took to social media to condemn the incident, stating he was "deeply shocked" to hear the news.
"Relieved to know that President Trump, the First Lady, and other attendees are safe," Sharif said.
Trump has survived two assassination attempts over the past two years – first at a presidential election campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, 2024, and later in Palm Beach, Florida, on September 15, 2024.
