Jul 12, 2006 10:29 AM
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For those who don’t understand hindi it is an old saying that my mom had taught me as a child that means “you are celebrating and going crazy over the wedding of someone who is totally unrelated to you …” Football craze in India has really reminded of this saying and practically every single day since the beginning of the FIFA World Cup tournament. Football has been hogging the media space as though India has organized the game or India is one of the hot favorites chasing a win in every single game played. If the front page of newspapers were not enough there has been a new add-on supplement issued by popular dailies for the abdullahs of the barat. This raises several questions in my mind.
Are Indians so much crazy for the game that they shave their heads off like footballs and even stay late nights to bid for the game? We have Preity Zinta staying awake late nights just to watch the game… We have Urmila Matondkar saying that she cannot get married to a person who doesn’t understand the ‘F’ of football(no wonder she is still searching for her soulmate). We have the corporate heads with their spouse(Mukesh Ambani and the likes) heading to Berlin for the World Cup Finals. I have my friend coming all the way from Santacruz at midnight to South Mumbai just to watch the match at one of the best Hotels in Mumbai and also sometimes missing his office the next day. There may be many such stories that may be more interesting to our ears and would surprise us if we collectively share it.
7 out of 10 consumer products that are advertised today relate themselves to Football. Multiplexes are showing Football matches instead of Movies!!! We suddenly realize that Football has become our National game leaving behind Hockey and of course Cricket. Mani Shankar Aiyer, Sports Minister of India, must be very happy to see the excitement in Indians for a neglected sport that has put Cricket to a back seat for a change. We see Football results on the front page of the Sports Section and search for India West Indies result on some page!!! I personally have nothing against Football. Infact, I like to see some healthy competition to Cricket and also would like India to be a part of such a challenging game.
But I have a few questions regarding the genuineness of the Football fever. Is half the India following the game because the other half is following it, who doesn’t even know the name of the Indian Football Captain (Bhaichung Bhutia)??? Is the Corporate supporting the game because they want to sell their products in some disguise or the other? Is the media glorifying the game because there is so much airtime to fill and not enough news to attract people? If the Corporate and who’s who of the Society are so very crazy for the game then can we have sum sponsors to support the game and nurture it so that we can cheer the Indians instead of cheering the ancestors of Goa or the British who had ruled the country once upon a time??? Can we have some privately/government-sponsored academies to nurture talent from India the way we have MRF Academy for Cricket? Don’t we have enough mothers in India who have given birth to 11 such coveted players like Zidanes and Fidos who can give other minuscule sized countries a run for their money? We sure have them, don’t we? But where are they… under nourished… In a country where players have to sell their gold medals to feed themselves seldom find any hope and inspiration in games that are ignored by the limelight.
Bhaichung Bhutia must have had maximum endorsement (example Nokia etc) money in this season when he has not played for India compared to otherwise where he must have won a few tournaments. If the Indian bureaucrats feel that India is only a cricket crazy nation then please think again! If the monsoon deluge cannot affect the morale of the Indian Football enthusiasts then we definitely need an alternate game to cheer India next time around. Football fever has come to an end now but let it not end that inspiration and fire that has shown the Sponsors and the Bureaucrats an alternate business avenue and reason for India to be proud of.
One must necessarily agree that media whether it is press or T.V. has been instrumental to make Football steal the limelight of many a few heroes of other games and other sections of the society. I thank media to make Football another game to cheer about but also request this fever and hype to finally lead to some constructive result that will finally make everyone of us proud!
