Cristiano Ronaldo in the thick of things in Aceh

Cristiano Ronaldo in the thick of things in Aceh

Moch N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Banda Aceh

Soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo's whistle-stop visit to Banda
Aceh on Saturday encountered a hitch when crowd control problems
forced the cancellation of a coaching clinic.

The 20-year-old Manchester United player, on a two-day visit
to Banda Aceh and Jakarta for tsunami relief, was scheduled to
lead the clinic for elementary school and junior high school
students at a soccer field.

However, the huge crowd outnumbered the security officers on
hand. Ronaldo made one attempt to walk out to the field (shown in
photo) from his bus, but eventually retreated to the vehicle when
a path could not be cleared.

Although officials tried to restore order, Ronaldo left after
about 30 minutes for his flight to Jakarta.

Earlier, Ronaldo had visited the coastal area of Ulee Lheu to
see the destruction from the Dec. 26 earthquake and subsequent
tsunami. He was accompanied by eight-year-old survivor Martunis,
who the Portuguese national team hosted last Saturday in Lisbon.

"I'm very tired after playing Estonia in the World Cup
qualifiers," Ronaldo told reporters on the plane journey to
Jakarta, referring to Portugal's victory in Tallinn on Wednesday,
in which he scored the winning goal.

"I was happy to see the Acehnese people, and I'm only sorry
that my physical condition was not up to it today."

Some in the crowd expressed their disappointment after Ronaldo
left, Antara news agency reported.

"The organizers weren't ready ... If things end up like this,
then they shouldn't bother inviting famous people," said one of
the chaperones of the children.

A spokesman for the event organizer said there was a
"misunderstanding" with the security officials.

Ronaldo is scheduled to meet with Vice President Jusuf Kalla
on Sunday afternoon before attending a fund-raising dinner.