From Sixes to Samba: Kerala Swaps Cricket for World Cup Fever
Messi, Neymar, Ronaldo rise from Kerala’s backwaters
Thiruvananthapuram: Sanju Samson’s stellar man-of-the-series performance earlier this year, which brought the T20 World Cup back to India, is now a thing of the past. In God’s Own Country, cricket has given way to football fever, with just hours remaining before the Soccer World Cup kicks off in Mexico City.
Even Sanju wouldn’t mind the change, being a die-hard football fan himself. Visitors to Kerala this monsoon can soak in the Samba rhythms of Brazil or the flair of Argentina, as these two teams remain the favourites of the Malayalees. Spain, Germany, France, and Portugal also enjoy their own loyal pockets of support.
From Kasargod to Thiruvananthapuram and Ernakulam to Idukki, towns and villages are adorned with flags, festoons, posters, and giant cutouts of football heroes. In the backwaters of Alappuzha, massive cutouts of Messi, Ronaldo, and Neymar appear as if they’ve risen from the depths of the lake. Houses are painted in Argentinian and Brazilian colors while streets, junctions, and corner tea stalls have turned into ‘liberated’ zones for fans of their favourite football teams.
Fans of Messi, Neymar, and Cristiano Ronaldo are locked in a friendly battle to put up the largest cutout in their neighbourhoods, spending lakhs without hesitation to honour their sporting heroes. Football lovers in Kerala have also planned colourful bike rallies, a cherished tradition during the World Cup.
With faces painted in the colours of their favourite teams, flags and cutouts in hand, they ride through the main streets of cities and towns to the sound of lively music, bringing the festive spirit to life.
The passion of the fans will soar to a fever pitch as the tournament unfolds. Over the 39-day football fiesta, there will be joy and sorrow, tears, heartbreaks, and celebrations. Football lovers will also get to enjoy live telecasts of their favourite teams’ matches on giant screens set up by various organisations across the state.
If it were the "Dreamers" in Qatar, this time it’s “Dai dai, Ikó, dale, allez, let’s go!” Now, it’s over to the United States, Canada, and Mexico for the biggest sports carnival on the planet.
