Ahead of friendly match with Messi, Telangana CM plays football with group of students

Hyderabad, Dec 19 (PTI) Ahead of his friendly match with football legend Lionel Messi on December 13, Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy played the game with a group of students of Woxsen University here Thursday night.

The chief minister, wearing a jersey, played a practice match with the students at the university's football stadium, an official release said.

Reddy would play the friendly match with Messi when the latter visits Hyderabad as part of his 'GOAT Tour to India 2025'. The RGI Cricket Stadium at Uppal here would be the venue for the event.

"He (CM Revanth Reddy) plays a lot of football. You will definitely see him in action on the (December) 13th when he is going to play with one of my favourite players, Lionel Messi," former cricketer and state minister Mohammad Azharuddin said on December 8 during the Telangana Rising Global Summit organised by the state government.

Reddy, an avid football fan and player, had earlier played a practice match with a group of players at the MCRHRD Institute Ground here.

Telangana Director General of Police B Shivadhar Reddy on Thursday reviewed the security and other arrangements for Messi's event at the stadium.

He instructed that all departments should work in coordination and ensure tight security arrangements without causing any inconvenience to the spectators, the Telangana Police said in a post on X.

The officials informed the DGP that the 23-acre stadium, divided into four sectors, has a seating capacity of about 39,000.

Meanwhile, BJP floor leader in the assembly, A Maheshwar Reddy, alleged that CM Revanth Reddy is misusing public money in the name of playing football.

In a statement, the BJP leader demanded that the CM should state what Telangana would get if he played football with Messi's team.

Maheshwar Reddy said he would undertake a protest on Friday against the alleged misuse of public money. PTI SJR VVK AMJ AMJ