Kollam: The spirit of soccer has been unleashed in full force by people operating behind closed doors in Kollam. The real heat of the game is being generated by soccer betting which is otherwise banned in the State. Betting is mostly being conducted in circles associated with football clubs and soccer enthusiasts.
Soccer betting is carried out in the name of their favourite football teams participating in the FIFA World Cup. Many a time, it is spot betting with the deal taking place just before the commencement of the matches. Those betting do not have a consistent team to back, but depending on the strength of the opposition they decide which team to support. However, in a bid to attract maximum support, the betting circuit is abuzz with supporters of Brazil and Argentina.
There is a practice of group betting in which an entire team bets with another in the name of their favourite soccer team. “Betting is sometimes for an amount of '500 which may go up to thousands depending on the teams that are competing. For Argentina and Brazil, the expectations are higher and often teams do not bet against these teams. However, Spain has shattered all their dreams and many people lost money when Spain lost against Netherlands,” said a 35-year-old football enthusiast in Kollam.
“The betting has been on even when we played. It is the spirit of football in which people support each player and team. Betting is quite normal but we cannot support them as it is like gambling. I personally supported Wayne Rooney’s England team in this World Cup, but sadly they lost the game,” said veteran footballer Jo Paul Ancheri.
Betting is done for long term prospects of the teams participating in semi-finals and finals. The highest bet is for predicting the winner, which may go up to tens of thousands. In many clubs and bars, these bets happen over a peg of liquor.
However, the Kerala Football Association (KFA) is oblivious about such deals. “We are unaware of such betting in the name of the World Cup. If there is one, we do not support and we are unaware about the legalities of betting,” said K.M.I. Mather, KFA President. Kollam, like the Northern side of Kerala, is not behind the line when it comes to soccer!
