Police in northern India have recovered a stolen watch customized for Diego Maradona and arrested a suspect behind the alleged theft, officials said Saturday.
Assam state police chief Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta said the Hublot watch, which carried the signature of the Argentinian soccer legend, was seized from the suspect's home in the district of Sivasagar, some 350 kilometers (217 miles) east of the state capital, Gauhati.
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Diego Maradona: Sports world pays tribute to soccer legend
World mourns the loss of a legend
On the first weekend following Diego Maradona's death, athletes from around the world paid tribute to football's legendary Number 10. The Argentine died on November 25 from a heart attack at the age of 60. The commemorations, which took place mostly in empty stadiums, lost none of their emotional poignancy.
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Diego Maradona: Sports world pays tribute to soccer legend
Respect on the field
The methods of remembering one of soccer's all-time greats varied from stadium to stadium. Teams from England's Premier League held a minute's applause while some also wore a black armband as a show of mourning. Manchester City and Burnley players clapped as they watched a video of Maradona's two famous goals which knocked England out of the 1986 World Cup.
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Diego Maradona: Sports world pays tribute to soccer legend
Under Maradona's gaze
Players from French top teams Marseille and Paris Saint-Germain held a minute's silence while standing in the formation of the letter "M." Both clubs also hung banners saying "Adios." The Argentine ambassador to France, Leonardo Constantino, unfurled his country's national flag from the Parc des Princes stadium.
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Diego Maradona: Sports world pays tribute to soccer legend
'Ciao Diego'
Players held a minute's silence in Germany and other European countries, too — with Maradona's jersey on display during a Borussia Dortmund match. Maradona played for teams in Italy and Spain, notably Naples and Barcelona. Italian players also wore black armbands while stadiums projected Maradona's face on screens during the 10th minute of the game in recognition of his shirt number.
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Diego Maradona: Sports world pays tribute to soccer legend
'Hand of God'
Maradona was among the cutout fans in the stands at Portman Road Stadium. He scored two goals against England in the 1982 World Cup in Mexico. One is famously known as the "Hand of God" after the Argentine's hand knocked the ball into the net — a foul that went unpenalized. The other went down as FIFA's goal of the century. The football star was beloved for his dominance and flair on the field.
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Diego Maradona: Sports world pays tribute to soccer legend
A loss felt beyond football
The tributes weren't limited to football matches. Before their Tri-Nations game against Argentina, the New Zealand Rugby team laid an All Blacks shirt with Maradona's name and famous number 10 printed on it in the middle of the field. Argentine players nodded in recognition of the commemorative act.
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Diego Maradona: Sports world pays tribute to soccer legend
A fitting farewell
Kylian MBappe of Paris Saint-Germain donned a special T-shirt with the soccer legend's face and the words "Rest in peace" in Spanish. Sevilla football club in Spain appeared at their match on Saturday wearing reproductions of the shirts from the season when Maradona played there, with all the players sporting the number 10 during the minute's silence.
Author: Alex Berry
Hand of the law
Police said they detained Wazid H. and recovered the luxury Swiss-made watch after he fled to India following an alleged theft in Dubai.
The 37-year-old suspect had been working as a security guard at a Dubai-based firm where memorabilia relating to Maradona were kept, according to authorities.
The single-edition timepiece, valued at $26,500 (€23,400), has a photo of the star, with arms aloft wearing the number 10 jersey that is now indelibly, engraved on its back.
Hero
Former Napoli and Boca Juniors forward Maradona died of heart failure in November last year at the age of 60, sparking three days of national mourning in his homeland.
Maradona will forever be remembered as the man who single-handedly — quite literally when taking into account his "Hand of God" goal against England — captained Argentina to World Cup glory in Mexico in 1986.
jsi/fb (AP, AFP)
