Kerala alumni association apologizes following social media outrage for welcoming Shahid Afridi

Thiruvananthapuram: A Kerala expatriate community in Dubai, which is facing intense online backlash over a warm welcome extended to Pakistan cricketer Shahid Afridi in a recent programme, has apologised for the incident and clarified that it was not intentional.

The Cochin University Btech Alumni Association (CUBAA), UAE, has been under attack for some days after a video, showcasing Afridi being welcomed enthusiastically during a recent programme organised by them in Dubai, went viral on social media handles.

In the video, it can be seen that the crowd cheering Afridi and chanting his nickname "boom boom" when he addressed the gathering. In his brief address, the cricketer was seen praising Kerala and its cuisines.

The warm hospitality, extended to the Pakistan cricketer, didn't go well with a large number of netizens and right wing supporters.

They attacked the CUBAA office-bearers, citing the Pakistan cricketer's recent controversial remarks against India and its Army in connection with the Pahalgam terror attack.

When a social media user described the act as "shameful", another netizen said "they are fetting someone who has been trash-talking our country." As the incident triggered a widespread row, the CUBAA office-bearers, on Friday came out with an Instagram post expressing apology over the incident and said it was not intentional.

Without naming Afridi, they said they had booked Pakistan Association Dubai (PAD) as a venue of the second season of an inter-collegiate dance competition much before the tension between India and Pakistan.

The same venue was used for the first season of the event last year also due to its affordability, the statement said.

"At the time of our event, the diplomatic tensions had already eased. Due to the unavailability of an alternative venue on short notice, we proceeded with the programme as scheduled at PAD Dubai," they said.

The CUBAA representatives further said cricketers, including Afridi, came to the auditorium for another event on the same day when their programme was held on May 25.

As the Kerala community's programme was concluding, these cricketers made an "unannounced and unsolicited appearance" at their event, which was held in the same auditorium, they further said.

"We would like to categorically state that no member of our organising team, officials or alumni members invited them nor coordinated this appearance. Our officially published event schedule, which does not include these individuals as guests, further supports this," the organisers said.

They further said as their visit was a surprise, they were unable to manage the crowd response appropriately in that short span of time.

"We regret any confusion or inconvenience caused to attendees, participants, or supporters due to this unplanned development. We deeply regret any hurt or offense our actions may have caused. It was never our intention, and we sincerely apologise to those affected," they said.

The expatriate community also reiterated their commitment to maintaining the cultural and inclusive spirit of our country.