CM vs Messi Match Enhances Telangana Festivities, Says Bhatti
The upcoming Telangana Sports Policy 2025 aims to strengthen sports infrastructure and athlete development.
Hyderabad: Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka on Sunday said that the announcement of world football legend Lionel Messi’s appearance in Hyderabad on December 13 has created a wave of excitement among football lovers. It is drawing thousands of his fans from across the country to Hyderabad.
He said the match has further added to the festive atmosphere building up across the state for the Telangana Rising Global Summit celebrations.
On Sunday, Bhatti inspected the arrangements at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Uppal ahead of the much-anticipated friendly football match between Messi and Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy’s team, scheduled for December 13. He reviewed security measures, traffic regulation plans, parking zones and other logistics, and later briefed the media on the progress of preparations.
Stating that Messi commanded extraordinary global popularity and receives the highest level of security wherever he travelled, Bhatti said fool-proof arrangements were being put in place in coordination with multiple agencies. He added that Messi himself had expressed interest in joining the Telangana Rising festivities, making the event even more significant.
Appealing to spectators to arrive early on match day, Bhatti said that early entry would help avoid congestion and ensure smooth security checks, given the massive turnout expected. All facilities required for football fans — including entry management, food services, seating oversight and emergency support — have been readied at the stadium, he said.
He noted that several global personalities, corporate leaders and CEOs arriving for the Telangana Rising Global Summit will also be in the city during the match, prompting heightened security protocol. Rachakonda and Hyderabad Police Commissioners are personally monitoring the deployment of security forces, crowd-control systems and verification procedures, he added.
Bhatti reviewed the dedicated routes planned for the movement of Messi, the Chief Minister, ministers and other VIPs, along with access plans for the general public. Officials briefed him on the number of spectators expected, gate management systems, parking spaces and transport support through Metro Rail and RTC services.
He said the government will use the Global Summit platform to unveil Vision 2047 sports strategies, including the establishment of the world’s second women’s football academy and India’s second men’s football academy in partnership with FIFA–AIFF. The upcoming Telangana Sports Policy 2025 aims to strengthen sports infrastructure and athlete development.
Ministers and senior officials, including IT minister D. Sridhar Babu, additional DGP Vijay Kumar, Rachakonda police commissioner G. Sudheer Babu and others, accompanied Bhatti during the inspection.
