Qatar 2022 Special: World Cup, as we play it in Kerala!
This time, World Cup is a bit more special because of the venue. Kerala is home to a large number of expats currently working in Qatar. The game has come much closer to home, indeed.
FollowAs the ball started rolling at the world’s grandest sporting stage, the roar from the galleries at Qatar literally reminded one of a match being played in a Kerala ground. For, the echoes are so loud through the state, complete with fans competing to install tall hoardings of favourite players weeks before the beautiful game got underway.
This time, the fever has engulfed the state so strongly that it drew world attention to the southern state, where the display of support for players and teams has touched an all-time high. From huge cut-outs to football anthems, compound walls, and even houses painted in yellow, blue and white hues; the frenzy has caught on.
And the cut-outs are undoubtedly the stars of the fan game being played in Kerala. When a 30-feet-tall cut out of legendary footballer and Argentine star Lionel Messi went up the Kurungattu Kadavu river in Kozhikode, even FIFA could not help but notice this huge display of the love for football.
When Argentina fans caused a social media storm with Messi, could Brazil fans be far behind? Soon, right next to Messi went up a 40-foot-tall cut-out of Neymar.
And that was just the beginning. Ronaldo fans from the village did not let their hero down, and now Ronaldo's cut-out is the largest of the three.
FIFA tweeted a picture of the cutouts, saying world cup 'fever has hit Kerala' leading to the Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan thanking FIFA for 'acknowledging our unmatched passion for the sport' in a tweet. And soon, cut-outs of heroes flooded villages and cities alike as the countdown to the soccer festival began.
But, Messi nearly missed the match in Kerala owing to a "spinal" injury when a huge cut-out, made by spending Rs 1 lakh, broke while being carried around by fans. This video, too, instantly became viral. But Messi fans wouldn't let the mishap hamper their spirit. Within hours a similar cut-out was made and installed.
India is yet to play the FIFA World Cup, but that doesn't stop football fans in the state from cheering for their favourite game and their 'adopted nations'. In a country that is fanatical about cricket, Kerala has always been known for its ardent love for soccer.
World Cup is a bit more special this time because of the venue. Kerala is home to a large number of expats currently working in Qatar. The game has come much closer to home, indeed.
Support for the two favourite teams, Brazil and Argentina, has even led to a social media banter between enthusiastic legislators of the state. It started with State Education Minister V Sivankutty's post cheering Brazil, which soon met its match by the supporters of Argentina.
Even the Chief Minister, who has never openly sided with a team, commented that the beauty of football is the 'brotherhood that transcends borders'.
And the fans in Kerala prove him right. The state might be painted yellow on one side and blue-and-white on the other; football and favourites could even openly divide a family, but the sportsmanship never falters.
