Diego Maradona makes dream come true for disabled boy
Football legend Diego Maradona had a kick-about with 10-year-old Ali Turganbekov, a Kazakh boy who was born without legs.
Ali sent a hopeful message to his favorite player saying he would love nothing more than to meet him. The two did not just shake hands and exchange gifts, they also had a one-on-one session, in which the boy headed balls into a goal, and got to play keeper as the World Cup winner lobbed shots at him.
“I played football with my friend Ali, who came to meet me in Fujairah, UAE. Thank you for your example of resilience, Ali,” the Argentinian, who currently coaches the local football team, wrote in an Instagram post.
Ali was born with amelia, a relatively rare birth defect. He has become something of a celebrity in his homeland, occasionally appearing in the media, and has previously traveled abroad to meet former Real Madrid player Michel Salgado, who passed his video along to Maradona.
Moreover, Ali says his dream is to become a Paralympic swimmer, and beat Michael Phelps' medal record.
