Qatar World Cup 2022 is happening at full pace without India’s participation. However, the Indians are making their presence in the tournament, thanks to ISL.
The 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar has been widely followed in India, and the passion of football enthusiasts has even led them to travel to the host nation and witness live action at the stadiums. But, what has been intriguing, is the flavour of the ongoing Indian Super League (ISL) across the WC in the form of Indian football fans. The passionate loyalists have headed to the WC, donning the colours of their respective ISL teams. The fans were spotted in Qatar wearing club jerseys and scarves and holding flags and banners bearing crests or names of their respective ISL teams.
With almost all ISL clubs fans showing their passion for the clubs, the global arena is indeed witnessing Indian football colours while the knockout action heats up at the WC. At the Al Janoub Stadium in Al-Wakrah, Qatar, during a match between Uruguay and Ghana, a group of Kerala Blasters (KBFC) fans were spotted sitting behind one of the goals, wearing the Blasters’ jerseys and waving the Uruguayan flag. They also carried a small poster that read, “Supporting Uruguay for our magician Uruguayan,” with a picture of KBFC star striker Uruguayan Adrian Luna next to it. Several other fans were spotted across almost all the venues that hosted WC matches.
A member of the West Block Blues, Sunil Markal, was in attendance at the Education City Stadium in Al Rayyan, where Morocco knocked Spain out on penalties. Sunil was sporting his Bengaluru FC (BFC) jersey and was surrounded by Moroccan fans, who he said were intrigued about the one person not donning the red of either Spain or Morocco.
“Bengaluru FC is the club of my heart, and whichever match I attend, I always have a BFC jersey or scarf. The Blues are the biggest motivation for me,” said Sunil, who drew curious questions about his jersey and the club from Moroccan fans. “A lot of Morocco fans were inquisitive because I was the only person wearing a unique jersey amidst a sea of red, so I told them about BFC,” he said.
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This burst of passion for Indian clubs is not a new phenomenon, as many fans have spoken about being able to better connect with local and domestic football after the advent of the ISL. The passion and interest in Indian football have also been visible during the ongoing ISL season, as fans have had the opportunity to see their teams play at stadiums after a two-year break.
The opening clash of the new season between KBFC and East Bengal (EBFC) was sold out and has set the tone for the rest of the season. Fans have turned out in great numbers throughout the season to show their investment in India’s footballing journey and are willing to take this commitment to the global stage.