FIFA World Cup 2018-Keralites Go Football Crazy and Football Mad
Mangaluru: If you think that Indians are just hard-core Cricket fans-you are wrong! Because there are quite a few Indians who are die-hard fans of football, especially when it comes to World Cup Football- and among many states in India, Kerala is one state where Keralites have painted their town red supporting the FIFA World Cup 2018. Football fans in Kerala have painted roads, private vehicles and public transport buses in the colours of their favourite teams. Fans sporting jerseys with images of their heroes are seen spotted in even small towns of the football crazy state.
Even though football fans across the world are enjoying the football extravaganza, however, in cricket-crazy India, it has become important to discuss the football fever in places like Kerala every time the World Cup arrives. From painting houses, bikes and even jackfruits on trees in colours of their favourite football teams, fans in Kerala are already high on World Cup spirit. Here, it’s a staple mix of team jerseys, fan wars fought on flex-boards and heated post-match debates. Kevin De Bruyne is not a name that rolls off the tongue. Not easily like, say, Mohanlal. But it doesn’t matter. The frenzy and fandom are visible all around the city, be it roads or water pipes, all have been painted the flag of the team they are supporting.
There are pictures circulating on social media where a large crowd in Kerala are either Argentina or Brazil’s loyal fans. Few of them even support Poland, Saudi Arabia and Spain. Sources reveal that Safuvan, the president of Manjappada, the official fan club of the Kerala Blasters football team and Malappuram resident believes it boils down to the number of superstar players the two countries have produced over the years. “Back in the ‘60s and ‘70s when football started to become a popular sport in Kerala, the two players to watch out were Diego Maradona and Pele, both from Argentina and Brazil,” explains Safuvan speaking to media.
A house is also painted matching Brazil’s flag and the house has been re-christened as ‘House of Brazil’- and added to that even the compound wall has been painted with images of the World Cup team players. The main intention of the couple who own the house to paint their house with images of football images was to bring awareness about the football game and also invite other football fans to come and watch the game with them.
Another die-hard fan of Brazil football team, Sudheer aka “Brazil Sudheer” from Kollam-Kerala has painted his two-storied home-he has also painted his car with Brazilian Team and scooter with colors of Brazilian flag, spending lakhs of rupees. In the football-crazy northern districts of Malappuram and Kozhikode, the World Cup has brought out familiar colours and on expected lines, Argentina and Brazil top in popularity. In other parts, the mood unfolds in homes painted in team colours, beach tournaments, social meetups with live screening, motorbike rallies, music videos and the one question you can’t escape – Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo? Many restaurants and bars have also arranged special screenings and some have even revamped menus in wake of the football season.
Fifa World Cup 2018: Soccer Fan Clifin Francis Cycles from Kerala to Russia
With Kerala in the grip of FIFA World Cup 2018 fever, a football crazy fan from the state has cycled all the way to Russia to watch the tournament and realize his dream of meeting Argentina’s living legend Lionel Messi.
Clifin Francis, 28, flew to Dubai from Kerala on February 23, bought a cycle, took a ship to the port city of Bandar Abbas, the capital of Hormozgan province on the southern coast of Iran, before embarking on his cycling odyssey to Russia. “I am very happy. It was a four-month-long journey,” Francis told media from Tambov, a countryside town in Russia today. He said he had bought a ticket for the France-Denmark match on June 26 and was waiting to watch it with his fingers crossed. “Every day you meet new people, see new landscapes, new culture,” he said, adding both good and bad experiences came his way during the journey.
Francis says though all his papers, including visa, were in order, he was denied permission to enter Georgia through Azerbaijan, forcing him to take an alternative route. “I felt sad at their behaviour as a German cyclist was allowed to take the route. But there were times when I saw the goodness in human beings as people whom I had never met gave me shelter, the warmth of their homes and offered food,” the software engineer said.
Football had always been his first love and watching the World Cup a long cherished dream. After obtaining his B Tech degree, Francis worked at the Infopark at Kakkanad in Kochi for some time, before taking up a job as a mathematics teacher at a coaching school, Saji, his paternal uncle said. “He was always a hard worker and slogged at the coaching class without taking any leave and saved as much as he could to have his dream fulfilled. Relatives also chipped in (with money),” Sam told PTI by phone from Kochi.
Francis said he celebrated his birthday with the residents of Maymeh in Iran, enjoying the hot kebabs they served with ‘Istak’, a local drink, an experience he would never forget. The local people there are great fans of Indian film stars like Raj Kapoor, Amitabh Bachchan and Mithun Chakraborty, while the younger ones especially enquired about Salman Khan and Aishwarya Rai, he said. When I went into a house, the family was watching an old Raj Kapoor starrer, he said.
Francis, hoping to reach Moscow at the earliest, said it is his long-cherished dream to meet Messi. When asked if he would be able to make it come true, he said, “I have reached this far. I am an optimist. My desire is to meet Messi. (I) Don’t know if it is possible….I am a die-hard fan of his.”
Inputs from PTI
