India, Aug. 30 -- West Bengal chief minister Suvendu Adhikari on Sunday called upon sports minister Indranil Khan to ensure that representatives from the state become part of the national football team.

Addressing a programme to mark National Sports Day in Kolkata, Adhikari referred to the Lionel Messi event at Salt Lake Stadium on December 13 last year, describing the episode as a "big scandal". He said that around 33,000 young football fans were deprived of the opportunity to see the Argentine star despite paying high ticket prices.

"I have started an internal process to give an international feel to football lovers," he said, without elaborating.

Adhikari told Khan to ensure that football players and other sportspersons from the sta...