With the FIFA World Cup Fever and all, this one question has always been bugging me. What country in the world would have a scenario like this:
The National Game : Hockey
The Semi-National Hobby: Football
The National Passion: Cricket
We have'nt exactly "excelled" in any of these sports save for some duration in the gone generation. Well, I am not getting into any argument as to how cricket has always stolen everyelse's sunshine. But what I can understand is that there has been a palpable growth in the average Indian's appreiciation of other sports besides Cricket.
Thanks to multiplying satellite sport channels, now sport event in every nook(ad) and corner of the world gets instant and indepth coverage and all a sports fan needs is a flick of the button to switch from soap operas to sport arena! Now my assistant Mr Shinde (avid sports fan & amateur Sports commentator) discusses Ricky Paanting(sic) and Ranaldu(sic) with equal ease. FIFA worldcup is the talk of the town. He may not follow "offside" or "handball" but can surely understand when the "umpire" hands out pila or laal patta. He went on, drawing some interesting parallels between both these games!
The point Im trying to make is that Aam Aadmi is no more driven by cricket alone. Atleast a quarter of our country's populace can safely be called "manic football fans". And when Preity Zinta's secret football fetish occupies the frontpage of a leading newspaper, another quarter of the populace will blindly join this group! We hear Bengal is virtually dancing to Samba, rooting for Brazil, instead of Mohun Bagan for a change. The rest of India is simply content watching the event on TV or at Big-Screen Bars at best, cheering for countries not known otherwise..
This is the conundrum, the ubiquous Indian, and his conspicuous absence in the football arena.
The National Game : Hockey
The Semi-National Hobby: Football
The National Passion: Cricket
We have'nt exactly "excelled" in any of these sports save for some duration in the gone generation. Well, I am not getting into any argument as to how cricket has always stolen everyelse's sunshine. But what I can understand is that there has been a palpable growth in the average Indian's appreiciation of other sports besides Cricket.
Thanks to multiplying satellite sport channels, now sport event in every nook(ad) and corner of the world gets instant and indepth coverage and all a sports fan needs is a flick of the button to switch from soap operas to sport arena! Now my assistant Mr Shinde (avid sports fan & amateur Sports commentator) discusses Ricky Paanting(sic) and Ranaldu(sic) with equal ease. FIFA worldcup is the talk of the town. He may not follow "offside" or "handball" but can surely understand when the "umpire" hands out pila or laal patta. He went on, drawing some interesting parallels between both these games!
The point Im trying to make is that Aam Aadmi is no more driven by cricket alone. Atleast a quarter of our country's populace can safely be called "manic football fans". And when Preity Zinta's secret football fetish occupies the frontpage of a leading newspaper, another quarter of the populace will blindly join this group! We hear Bengal is virtually dancing to Samba, rooting for Brazil, instead of Mohun Bagan for a change. The rest of India is simply content watching the event on TV or at Big-Screen Bars at best, cheering for countries not known otherwise..
This is the conundrum, the ubiquous Indian, and his conspicuous absence in the football arena.
6 comments:
While the entire world is concentrating on "Football", this year our country is concentrating on "Food-ball". Are you confused? You see, till last year,our country had food grain surplus. Alas,now,this year we are arranging for massive wheat import. Only option for us is from which country- US or Australia- (the sub-standard) wheat is to arrive!,not to speak of pay off.Both the said counties have sent their team for football World Cup,besides suppling food-ball(wheat)to us. so,how can we improve football when there is scarcity for foodballs ?
-Gandy-
Real Food for thought!!!
Gandalf is wise, listen to him.
"And when Preity Zinta's secret football fetish occupies the frontpage of a leading newspaper, another quarter of the populace will blindly join this group!"
It's from the Slimes of India, silly!
Hay-Liass !!
Mr.Herlihy
Yo pirate:You read the paper?
Mr Hurley: Drunk again? watch futball then.
Why would I want to read two days old Slimes of India, when there are much better alternatives available?
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