Chinese mom-son duo hog limelight at Luzhniki arena

Moscow: Lin Ji Jia from Shanghai is a football fan. His 69-year-old mother Yuan Zhang is a fan of Russia, the country. Lin killed two birds with one stone by travelling to Russia for the World Cup with his mother. It’s rare for a football fan to bring an elderly person for a World Cup match abroad but Lin said he was thrilled to be in Russia with his doting mother. “This is our first foreign trip. My mother fell in love with Russia when she studied the Russian language in her school. She had always wanted to visit Russia and I’m so happy she is here, finally,” he added.

The ever-smiling woman with a Russian flag and her gregarious son with a Chinese flag were quite an attraction outside the Luzhniki Stadium after the Russia-Spain match on Sunday. No wonder the duo wow everyone wherever they go. “I'm surprised that so many people are ready to give us a free ride in their cars here,” Lin said.

After leaving his mother in the hotel to watch five matches here, Lin finally brought her to the Luzhniki, the citadel of Russian sport. Yuan, who meets and greets all people with tender affection, was full of excitement after fulfilling a childhood dream. Lin and his mother are big fans of Aamir Khan’s Dangal. “It’s a massive hit in China. I have watched it many times,” Lin said. Yuan added: “I also love Gandhi, your great leader.” She extended a warm invitation to visit her Shanghai home.