Indians were hoping to have local football heroes honoured than a foreigner.
The statue of Ronaldo in Goa, a state in India has generated backlash.
Local organizers say the statue of Ronaldo is meant to inspire local youth to follow his footsteps.
But others opposed to the superstar, saying it reminds them of Goa’s colonial past and urged officials to consider a statue of a local football instead.
“This is for the first time that the statue of Cristiano Ronaldo has come up in India. This is nothing but to inspire our youth,” Goa minister Michael Lobo told ANI.
“If you want to take football to another level then this is what young boys and girls will look forward to, taking selfies and looking at the statue and getting inspired to play.”
They were not happy to see the statue of the Portuguese international due to Goa’s history as a Portuguese colony until 1961.
