The Chief Minister of the Indian state of Kerala, V S Achuthanandan, will kick off the Nayanar Memorial International Gold Cup football tournament at the Municipal Jawahar Stadium on 8 April. Organised by the E K Nayanar Memorial Trust and headed by Communist Party of India (Marxist) state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan, the event is reportedly the first-ever international tournament in the name of a Communist leader. The CPM, which leads Kerala's ruling Left Democratic Front, claims the event is designed to "regain the lost glory of Kerala in soccer". Teams from Ghana, Nigeria and Pakistan are participating with one from Bangladesh on standby.
See also: Indian communists launch regional football cup (23 Jan)
See also: Indian communists launch regional football cup (23 Jan)