Victory of France in FIFA World Cup 2018 is victory of Puducherry: CM V Narayanasamy

Mahe: A day after 2018 FIFA World Cup finale, Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy said that Puducherry and France share a good cultural relationship. According to the people of Puducherry, the victory of France is their own victory, he added.

"Puducherry and France have got a very good cultural relationship. We were ruled by French earlier, therefore, the people of Puducherry feel that the victory of France is their own victory," Narayanasamy told news agency ANI.

Puducherry and France have got a very good cultural relationship. We were ruled by French earlier, therefore, the people of Puducherry feel that the victory of France is their own victory: Puducherry CM V Narayanasamy #FifaWorldCup2018 pic.twitter.com/yVSQMMG9lz — ANI (@ANI) July 16, 2018

His statement comes after two-times World Cup champions France defeated debutants Croatia 4-2, lifting the trophy for the second time in 20 years.

While Puducherry celebrated the victory with fans coming out on the streets to cheer on Sunday, Lieutenant Governor of the union territory Kiran Bedi too bolted out a message on the micro-blogging site that left most netizens rather puzzled and quite perturbed. 

"We the Puducherrians (erstwhile French Territory) won the World Cup. Congratulations Friends. What a mixed team-all French. Sports unites," she tweeted.

The French, playing their third World Cup final, were made to sweat initially and were lucky to go ahead when Croatia's Mandzukic headed an Antoine Griezmann free kick into his own net, the first own goal in a World Cup final.

France's Ivan Perisic levelled with a powerful shot 10 minutes later but the Croatia midfielder was then penalised for handball following a VAR review and Griezmann stepped up coolly to convert the 38th-minute penalty and put France 2-1 up.

Croatia fought hard for an hour but gradually ran out of steam after playing extra time in their three previous matches, and goals from Paul Pogba and Kylian Mbappe gave France a three-goal cushion.

Mandzukic pounced on a mistake by France keeper Hugo Lloris to cut the deficit in the 69th minute, making it the highest-scoring final over 90 minutes in 60 years, but Croatia could not find the net again in their first World Cup final.

(With inputs from agencies)