Kolkata: Diego Maradona, the Prince of football, first came to Kolkata when Subhash Chakraborty was the Sports Minister. A special function was organized at Yuvabharati Kridangan. On that occasion, Subhash Chakraborty presented a wax statue to Maradona.
The responsibility of making that statue fell on Sculptor Sushanta Roy of Asansol who did not disappoint. He was also present on the occasion. Maradona hugged the statue in amazement when he saw it that day. Roy reminisced about that day.
Maradona breathed his last after a heart attack on November 25. The whole world is saddened by his death and is mourning the football wizard's demise. Sushanta is also upset, but fondly remembers the day Maradona came to Kolkata.
"Maradona was shocked when the statue I made, was unveiled. After a while, he became so overwhelmed that he hugged the idol and shook hands to thank me," Roy says.
"He was a great man and I was fortunate that I made his idol. Today I am literally upset. Maradona passed away at such an age," he said.
Claiming that there is no other wax statue of Maradona, Roy says, "the Madame Tussauds Wax Museum in England will not have a statue of Maradona. They will not accept Maradona because of his 'Hand of God' incident on the field. Only I made a wax statue of Maradona."
Presently, Roy's wax idol of Maradona is kept for public viewing at the Wax Museum in Rajarhat, in the outskirts of Kolkata.
Read: Obituary: Maradona, the genius who lived life on his own terms
