Attempt made to steal Al Rihla football in Malappuram school

KOZHIKODE: A week after a school in Malappuram received the official match ball for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar---called Al Rihla-as a gift from a former student, an attempted theft was reported at the school. The officials of the AM UP School were in for a surprise on Thursday morning as they saw that a portion of the plastic ceiling of the principal's office was cut open.

Nothing has gone missing from the room, but the school authorities believe whoever who broke into the office was looking for the ball.

The shelves and furniture in the room were moved around as well. As the principal had locked the ball safely on a shelf and had taken the keys home, the intruder could not lay his hands on it. Tanur police have started an investigation.

Police found a rope and iron tools used to break into the school. The intruder seems to have removed the roofing tiles of the school to enter the principal's room. He then used a rope to climb down after cutting the ceiling open, police said. Police suspect that it was someone familiar with the school building who attempted the theft since it didn't look like the handiwork of a professional thief.

The school authorities have reported to the police that nothing was stolen from the school. Another strange development was that someone had written with a chalk piece on the boundary walls of the school to warn that thieves will break into the school at night.

It was an alumnus of the school who was an industrialist in Qatar who gifted the new ball to the school. It was handed over to the school authorities at the school assembly a week ago.

Tanur police have launched an investigation to find the 'ball thief'. Anyhow, the school authorities have now increased the security of the ball and are planning to keep it safely at an undisclosed location.

Huge boot from Kozhikode to be displayed at Qatar

A huge football boot, 17-foot-long and six-foot-high, made in Kozhikode will be taken to Qatar, in an attempt to secure a Guinness world record. It will be put on display at Kozhikode beach on Sunday. The boot was made under the supervision of artist M Dileeph.

The boot, made of leather, fibre, rexine, etc would be displayed at various tourist destinations in Qatar, according to the organizers.


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