By Isaac Akugizibwe,
WORLD SPORTS
The whole world is indeed shocked by the blacksmith news of the demise of soccer legendary Pele which occurred on Thursday evening at about 3:27 Brazilian local time at the Albert Eistein Sao Paulo Hospital. Apart from being the world’s most iconic non political diplomat, Pele is the greatest sportsman and Footballer of all time.
His hospital said that the legendary former Santos football Club striker died of multiple organ failure as a result of cancer that saw him down through the Christmas period with his family around him. He was 82 years old.
Several football icons and prominent figures around the globe have since taken to social media to eulogise and pay tribute to the departed soccer legend with England’s Gary Lineker saying that he is the greatest footballer of all time. 1966 hero Sir Geoff Hurst said that pele was the greatest opponent player he ever played against and that Bobby Moore was the greatest he played with.
Brazil Captain, Neymar tweeted that Pele was a voice for the poor and the blacks and a vision for Brazilian football.
Born Edson Arantes Dos Nascimento,Pele according to the Guiness book of records ,scored 1128 goals in his illustrious career and is the only football player to have won the World Cup three times. He first won the coveted prize in 1958, the same year he mesmerized the world with his Samba skills. He scored 6 goals in four matches including a hatrick against France in the Semifinals and a brace against hosts Sweden in the final.
He went ahead to win the 1962 edition in Chile and the famous 1970 fiesta in Mexico where that famous Brazilian team brought everything beautiful to the football pitch,nowonder it is regarded the best international team ever.
Away from his skill and on field exploits, Pele’s legacy goes beyond the game he helped define as ‘the beautiful game.’ He was hope for the whole of Brazil,blacks and the impoverished. He united Brazilians who were divided along political lines, touched lives of the poor through a number of initiatives.
He will stick in the minds of Brazilians as the man who helped Brazil become a global stop center of football. It is him that the whole World calls Brazil a Soccer nation and that’s one other reason why many people in Brazil simply called him King Pele.
His heroics have inspired many people to look up to him especially in football. Greats like Nazario Delima Ronaldo of Brazil grew up trying to reminisce Pele and indeed, he was once referred to as the next pele. So many others world over including in Uganda grow up wanting to be like Pele.
Several young people in Kampala prefer to nickname themselves the names of their global icons and it is not surprising that it is Pele who vastly represents the 20th Century. And I am one of those who once fell in love with the Samba King.Because of my promising footballing skills, colleagues at Nyakasura school chose to call me nothing else but Pele.
And since 2010, I am known to many as Pele and I have no regrets for it is a treasure. I’ve been inspired by his legend and legacy. The world will never forget Pele,that one man who helped define football and he will remain the greatest of all time.
