The Hindu : Sport / Football : Maradona in good spirits

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Tuesday, Mar 08, 2005

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Maradona in good spirits

BOGOTA, MARCH 7. Diego Maradona was in good spirits at a clinic in Colombia, one day after undergoing gastric-bypass surgery that aims to trim his weight by 50 kgs within a year, his doctors said.

``He woke up stable, the readings are normal, he has a positive attitude... and he's having a great day,'' Dr. Francisco Holguin told reporters on Sunday.

Holguin is one of four doctors who conducted the operation, also known as stomach stapling, at a clinic in Colombia's coastal city of Cartagena.

Since quitting professional soccer in 1997, the 44-year-old Maradona has become severely obese as he struggled to overcome cocaine addiction at a centre in Cuba.

Holguin said the 5'6'' Maradona weighed 121 kgs when the surgery began on Saturday and that he could lose about 200 grams a day until he reaches a weight of 70-75 kgs.

``In one year Diego will reach his ideal weight. He'll look like he's ready to play in (next year's) World Cup in Germany,'' Holguin said with a smile. In 2000, FIFA chose Maradona and Pele as the sport's greatest players. — AP

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