Known to world as ‘King Pele’ Brazilian football legend Edson Arantes do Nascimento will receive a red carpet welcome to Guyana today when he arrives at 13:30 hours at the Dr. Cheddi Jagan International Airport.
The 69 year-old Pele is here as the guest of honour of the Kashif and Shanghais Organisation which will stage its 20th annual football tournament.
The 20-team knockout tournament kicks off tomorrow at the Guyana National Stadium Providence.
Pele will be met at the airport by Directors of the Kashif and Shanghai Organisation Kashif Muhammad and Aubrey ‘Shanghai’ Major and several other dignitaries including the Brazilian Ambassador to Guyana Luis Gilberto Seixas de Andrade and Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Dr. Frank Anthony.
A small reception is planned for Pele at the VIP Lounge at the airport where local media will have a chance of photograph and question `The King’ before he leaves for Georgetown.
A lunch, hosted by the Brazilian Embassy, will be held at Cara Lodge.
After dining with his natives, Pele will then head to City Hall to meet Mayor Hamilton Green and it is expected that the symbolic keys of the city will be handed over.
Pele’s hectic day will conclude with a State Dinner at the Princes Hotel, compliments of the Government of Guyana.
Acting President of Guyana Samuel Hinds and approximately over 400 guests will be on hand at the International Hotel to welcome Pele.
Tomorrow, Pele will be taken to a tour around the city on a motorcade where many Guyanese, who have heard, read or seen on television the ‘King of Football’ can, get a chance to see him in person.
As a means of documenting the legendary footballer’s visit to Guyana, Globo Communicacao e Participacoes S.A (TV Globo) out of Brazil has sent a four-member team.
According to Special Events Producer Francisco Trigo, who arrived in the country on Wednesday, their stay here is to record Pele’s every move and to do a special feature on the Pele Football Club, the defending Kashif and Shanghai champions, and Santos.
That two local clubs have been named after Pele, who in 1999 was named Athlete of the Century, speaks of the tremendous impact Pele has made on the world ever since he burst upon the scene as a 15 year-old playing for Brazilian club Santos.
Speaking with Stabroek Sport yesterday, Muhammad said that to finally see the visit of Pele materialize after talking about it for four months
is certainly a dream come true.
“I would like to wake up from this dream somehow or the other because all of the planning and running around and telephone calls are finally paying off. Not that it’s over but something that we just had as a thought is coming to pass,” Muhammad said.
Money well spent
The visit of Pele will cost the organizers approximately G$15m but Muhammad reacting to criticisms that the money could have been channeled into other areas such as increasing the prize money told Stabroek Sport yesterday that “the presence of somebody like King Pele is much more valuable than just putting some money in to the tournament.
So whatever the cost was, it was one of our dreams and it’s going to be realised and undoubtedly this is money well spent.”
He added:”I personally have not run into persons who are saying we should not have done it because of it’s a huge cost. In our view we are not losing anything because the mere fact that we can bring the Greatest Football player that has ever lived and is still living to our small little third world country, we think, is an unequalled accomplishment.
“There are more developed and richer countries than ours who do not even have the connections to get to start talking to King Pele to go to their country and they would love for that, so we are very appreciative of the persons who have supported us making this happen.”
Brazilians anxious
One of the many Brazilians living in Georgetown yesterday told Stabroek Sport…“We can’t believe he will be here,” as he struggled in his Portuguese parlance to speak in English.
“This is a day we lived all our lives for and to know it is happen for us it is dream. Pele for Brazil is like an idol, he is like a King not only for football but for Brazil” another added.
One woman shouted: “Pele is coming, Pele is coming!”
Asked why the excitement she said “You know, people here would never know and understand why Brazilians love Pele. It is something for us maybe to understand. I am happy I already have my ticket. I have never been to football in Guyana before and now I have to go because the King of the game is coming.”
Muhammad explained that they have never had Brazilians supporting their tournament before and now they are devastated by the support given.
Pele who played 1,363 matches and scored 1,281 goals in his career, wore 92 caps for Brazil and scored 97 goals with three World Cup titles to his name (1958, 1962 and 1970).
