Maradona turns 45

The small city of Rosario, south of the rocky province of Santa Fe, approximately 300km northwest of Buenos Aires, can boast of nothing distinctly special except the wild summertime Christmas celebrations like in any other part of the Southern Hemisphere.
But the timing of the celebration for 400 people, overtly premature by almost a month and 25 days, makes it interesting.In fact, on this day - October 30 to be precise - every year, a quaint corner of this small Argentinian town comes alive.
The town folk get together, dressed in their best, with boxes of chocolates and candles in hand, as the spring time gale blowing across the shores of the quiet Parana river carries the buzz of excitement. And the tent at the Newell Old Boys lights up to a small 'church' to mark the birth of the 'God' ��� Diego Armando Maradona.
But then this year, 45 AD (After Diego), this Mass will be very special. The people will have an extra reason to celebrate ��� the resurrection of a magician called El Diego. The self-styled 'Diegorian Brothers' of the 'Church of Maradona' will mark the rebirth of their God. For them, December 25 can wait.
We remember him for his dazzling footwork on the field. We remember his every little grimace, every sigh after a missed goal, every raging grunt on scoring that breathtaking goal.
Yes, an entire generation of football lovers grew up watching the man in that blue-white striped No.10 jersey create magic and we worshiped him.
But then, there was the other side to Diego. He may have been God on the field but was human off it. Even when his greatest adversary, Pele, always kept an urbane image, years after he quit playing football (the only time his credibility suffered a little was when his son was arrested on drug charges), Maradona always ended up a wayward genius. And at times, a waste.
Ballooning weight, divorce from his long-time sweetheart, appearance of a son who he first insisted was not his, over-riding debts, measly scuffles and the mother of it all, that damning cocaine addiction. What started as a minor post-match habit from his mafia-ridden days in Napoli, went on to eat into his greatness. And more importantly, his life. Sadly, away from the football fields, Maradona was an excruciating cocktail of all that could be wrong, for years, and he had to dribble past them so frequently ��� fighting all this while a dipping heart rate. Even on his last birthday, he was closer to his death, if not hell, like never before.
But then only Maradona could do it. He made it look incredible like the times he scored many of those blinders past several of the robust defending obstacles. Colossal changes in his life gave him a new look, a rebirth that he celebrates today.
The rest is a scary history, which according to his physician, Dr Ricardo Grimson, could have even been "death any moment" between 1996 and 2000 when FIFA named him the best footballer in soccer history along with Pele, to mark the turn of the millennium.
But then again, Diego Armando Maradona has not only given death the famous slip but has seemingly deferred it. Diego Maradona, AD 45, reminds you of the 26-year-old who not only buried the English under the Falkland islands but also conquered the world.
Diego Maradona is back and in what a way! Bigger than even Che Guevara would have imagined while planning the last of his Pan American coups.
A certain No. 10, this time off the field and on the screen ��� La Noche del 10 (The Night of 10) ��� bears testimony to that. The new look Maradona, once every week on Monday nights on the local Channel 13, is suave, slim, toned down and well, neatly 'stapled'.
An amazing contrast to what he was even some months ago when he was put on a respirator in a Havana hospital, as fans prayed outside.
The inaugural episode of 'La Noche' in August was one of the most watched TV programmes in years, the setting where the twain met ��� Maradona interviewed Pele on his TV talk show.
People love seeing him play ��� at times a one-on-one with Pele, at times swinging with the beautiful dancing dames, at times even talking politics with his childhood hero, Fidel Castro, where he pledges anti-Bush sentiments. Diego Maradona has returned from the dead. It's inspirational. It's cinematic. It's a delightful enigma.
Happy Birthday, Diego. Er, Merry Christmas, Diego!