Lionel Andrés Messi: The GOAT?

News Network
December 19, 2022

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For his legions of admirers, the debate about Lionel Messi's right to be regarded as the greatest footballer in history is officially over.

The absence of a World Cup winners' medal has long been Exhibit A in the argument about why Messi does not rank above Pele and Diego Maradona in football's pantheon.

But with Argentina's victory over France in Sunday's jaw-dropping World Cup final in Doha, the case against the 35-year-old maestro is now surely closed.

In a glittering career that has spanned three decades, Messi has won 37 club trophies, seven Ballon D'Or awards and six European Golden Boots.

There has been a Copa America title, an Olympic gold medal and a list of scoring and statistical records that may never be beaten.

The only remaining gap on Messi's CV -- a World Cup victory -- was comprehensively filled in on Sunday night over the course of 120 mesmerising minutes at the Lusail Stadium.

In his final World Cup appearance -- a record-breaking 26th for what it's worth -- Messi scored twice as Argentina battled to a 3-3 draw in extra-time before prevailing on penalties.

Not even Kylian Mbappe's magical hat-trick for Les Bleus could upset Messi's appointment with destiny on a night that seemed pre-ordained.

Former England and Barcelona forward Gary Lineker tweeted: "It's been an absolute privilege to watch Lionel Messi for nearly 2 decades. Moment after moment of spellbinding, breathtakingly joyous football. He's a gift from the footballing Gods."

"Lionel Messi. The best ever," was the instant verdict of England midfielder Declan Rice after Sunday's triumph. "We will never see a player like Messi ever again."

Whether Messi really is the 'greatest ever' is a question, of course, that is as futile as the answer is subjective, a parlour game that boils down to the eye of the beholder.

What is undeniable though is that by sheer volume and range of silverware, Messi has won more than the other serious rivals to his "G.O.A.T" status: Pele and Maradona.

While Pele's three World Cup triumphs remain unrivalled, the Brazilian icon's club career pales in comparison to Messi's.

In his peak years with Barcelona, the Argentinian regularly scaled the pinnacle of European club football, winning four Champions League titles - arguably a technically superior arena than international football.

Maradona meanwhile won only one World Cup, and never lifted a European Cup during a club career in Europe spent mostly with Barcelona and Napoli.

The counter-argument of course is that Pele and Maradona played in an era where players were offered far less protection than the likes of Messi and his great rival Cristiano Ronaldo.

Pele hobbled out of the 1966 World Cup finals after taking one brutal tackle too many; Maradona was also subjected to roughhouse treatment throughout his career.

Maradona's former international team-mate Jorge Burruchaga is reluctant to compare players across generations.

Burruchaga, scorer of the winning goal -- set up by Maradona -- in the 1986 World Cup final victory over West Germany says simply that Messi is the greatest player of his era.

"Win or lose, Messi is not more or less than Maradona," Burruchaga told AFP ahead of Sunday's final. "Messi is going to be in history whatever happens."

"There are five players in the past 70 years who can be considered the best in the world -- Di Stefano, Johan Cruyff, Pele, Maradona and Messi.

"Messi is in that list, whether he wins the World Cup or not. But I hope he does."

On Sunday, the hope of Burruchaga, and millions of Argentinian compatriots came true. 

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News Network
November 13,2024

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Bengaluru: An estimated overall 10.14 per cent voter turnout was recorded during the first two hours, since the voting began for bypolls to three Assembly segments in Karnataka on Wednesday, election officials said.

The voting began at 7 am and will go on till 6 pm.

More than seven lakh voters are eligible to cast their votes in about 770 polling stations in Shiggaon, Sandur and Channapatna, where a total of 45 candidates are in the fray.

While Channapatna recorded 10.34 per cent voter turnout till 9 am, it was 10.08 per cent in Shiggaon, and 9.99 per cent in Sandur, election officials said.

Voters, including women and elderly were seen queuing up in front of polling booths in these segments.

By-polls for Sandur, Shiggaon, and Channapatna are necessitated, as the seats fell vacant following the election of their respective representatives -- E Tukaram of Congress, former CM Basavaraj Bommai of BJP, and Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy of JD(S) -- to Lok Sabha in May elections.

As many as 31 candidates are in the fray from Channapatna, while Sandur and Shiggaon have six and eight contenders, respectively.

Elaborate security arrangements have been made in the three segments for the smooth conduct of the polls.

The by-polls will witness a straight fight between the ruling Congress and BJP in Sandur and Shiggaon segments, while in Channapatna, JD(S) which is part of the NDA alliance is in contest against the grand old party.

Among the three segments, Channapatna is considered to be a "high profile", where the contest is between C P Yogeeshwara, a five time MLA from the segment and former Minister, who joined the Congress quitting BJP ahead of nomination, and actor-turned -politician Nikhil Kumaraswamy, who is Kumaraswamy’s son and former PM H D Deve Gowda's grandson.

BJP's Bharath Bommai, son of Basavaraj Bommai, is fighting Congress Yasir Ahmed Khan Pathan, who had faced defeat against the former Chief Minister in the 2023 Assembly polls, in Shiggaon.

Bharath Bommai and his father cast their vote at a polling booth in Shiggaon segment.

In Sandur, Bellary MP Tukaram's wife E Annapurna of Congress is contesting from the seat vacated by her husband, against, BJP ST Morcha president Bangaru Hanumanthu, who is considered close to party leader and former mining barron G Janardhan Reddy.

Annapurna, Tukaram and other family members cast their votes at a booth in the segment.

With Nikhil Kumaraswamy and Bharath Bommai contesting, the third generation of Gowda and Bommai families are in the fray in this by-poll. Both their fathers and grandfathers have served as Karnataka's Chief Ministers in the past.

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News Network
November 17,2024

Mangaluru: District-in-Charge Minister and Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Dinesh Gundu Rao, announced that a day-care chemotherapy centre will soon be established at District Wenlock Hospital. Speaking to mediapersons after reviewing the activities at Wenlock and Government Lady Goschen Hospital, he shared the government’s plans to enhance healthcare services in the region.

Key Initiatives Announced

•    Day-Care Chemotherapy Centre:

  • Ten beds will be reserved for cancer patients.
  • The government will collaborate with Yenepoya Hospital to provide chemotherapy treatments.
  • All required facilities for the centre are already in place, awaiting inauguration by the Chief Minister.

•    Wenlock Hospital Facelift:

  • Critical Care Block: To be built at a cost of ₹24 crore.
  • Integrated Public Health (IPH) Lab: Planned with a budget of ₹1 crore.
  • New OPD Block: As per a 2017 agreement, KMC Hospital will take up construction. Discussions with KMC management are underway.

•    Additional Requirements:

  • A new mortuary and post-mortem building.
  • Paramedical college building.
  • Modern kitchen.
  • Bridge connecting two buildings within the hospital.

•    Total facelift cost: ₹6 crore to ₹10 crore, utilizing funds from the Department of Health and Family Welfare and CSR contributions.

•    Timeline:
By December or January, priority works will be finalized. The superintendents of Wenlock and Lady Goschen Hospitals are scheduled to visit Bengaluru next week to discuss these projects.

•    MRI Fee Allegations:
The minister assured that allegations of patients being charged for MRI scans at Wenlock Hospital will be resolved at the earliest.
These measures aim to improve healthcare accessibility and infrastructure, positioning Wenlock Hospital as a state-of-the-art facility in the region.

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News Network
November 11,2024

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The Manipur Kuki MLAs have released a statement calling out Solicitor General Tushar Mehta's 'lies' in the Supreme Court. In a joint statement, the MLAs, including those from the Bharatiya Janata Party, said they had not had any meeting with the Chief Minister since May 3, 2023, nor did they intend to meet him in the future as “he was the mastermind behind the violence”.

As per the MLAs, the SG lied about state CM N Biren Singh speaking to Kuki MLAs to control the situation there, in order to halt a Supreme Court probe into the leaked tapes which allege that Singh has been complicit in the violence that broke out between Kukis and Meitis there.

"We...clarify that we have never had any meeting with Chief Minister, Shri N. Biren Singh since May 3, 2023, nor have any intention to meet him in future as he is the mastermind behind the violence and ethnic cleansing of our people from the Imphal valley, which is continuing till today, the latest being the brutal killing and burning of Mrs Zosangkim Hmar on November 7, 2024," the letter read, while condemning the recent 'barbaric' killing of the woman there, and noting the SG's assertion is 'tantamount' to misleading the top court.

“We, the undersigned ten MLAs, have come to know that during the Supreme Court hearing held on November 8, 2024, the Solicitor General of India submitted that ‘CM is meeting all Kuki MLAs and trying to bring the situation down to get peace’. In this connection, we hereby categorically state that this submission is a blatant lie and tantamount to misleading the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India,” the statement said.

The Supreme Court, while hearing a petition by a Kuki organisation, asked that it submit audio tapes to substantiate its claim that the Chief Minister was instrumental in inciting and organising violence in the northeastern State.

Solicitor-General Tushar Mehta orally informed the court that the Chief Minister was meeting all the Kuki-Zo MLAs and that peace in the State had come at a huge cost.

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