Imkong Walling
Dimapur | June 10
The highly-anticipated FIFA World Cup has finally arrived. The action will take place thousands of miles from here but thanks to television, soccer buffs of Nagaland will not lose out on the thrilling encounters. ‘Load shedding’, however being the only bottleneck that stands between soccer aficionados and uninterrupted viewing of matches.
Nevertheless, battle lines are being drawn among the fans here – gender no bar which has extended even into the popular networking site ‘Facebook’. As expected European and South American teams are the favourites to win the championship.
Without going into the technicalities, Argentina, Italy, England, Germany and the Dark Horses of European football – Spain and Portugal — are the teams that fans here, when chatted with, said are their favourites. One Portugal fan was a bit down, with star striker Nuno Gomes not in the team.
Five-times champions, the formidable Brazilian team are no doubt the biggest threat to all the other teams but did not have many takers. “They are a great team no doubt but they always win” cited one Argentina supporter on Facebook.
For those who grew up in the eighties, Argentina, all thanks to the exploits of Diego Maradona, is still the favourite. The popularity of the Argentine team among the present younger generation is all the more solidified by the ‘Atomic Flea’ Lionel Messi whose form is wreaking havoc on rival defenses.
A few said they do not have any favourites as of now but one self-confessed soccer fanatic said “whichever team wins will be my team”. Beckham’s absence this time has drawn away quite a multitude of female fans from the England team. But the girls do not have to despair for they always have the good-looking Italians, and then there is Portugal’s Ronaldo, Brazil’s Kaka, Spain’s Fernando Torres etc, etc.
With all due respects the subject “why do women always have to support teams in terms of looks” will ever remain a debate.
Also the influx of pirated CDs of South Korean soaps and movies in Nagaland has upped the interest of the South Korean team among the fairer sex here, who are into the imported oriental tearjerker flicks and soaps. In fact the two Koreas and Japan are the only three teams in the world Cup that can come closest to being called ‘home teams’.
Among the African nations Ivory Coast and Nigeria are the most rooted ones.
However, beneath all the open display of affection for the South Americans and the Europeans, there is the latent wish that this time any of the teams from Africa, Asia, Oceania group and the lesser known teams take the coveted FIFA world Cup away from the major teams.
“With no particular nation to call our own competing in the premiere event, nevertheless, the World Cup has as ever generated so much interest among the people here”. Such is the passion that even the electricity department has come up with “Do’s and Don’ts” to the consumers for non-stop viewing of matches, power shortage notwithstanding.
Not to be left behind the All Nagaland Electricity Field Workers Association has come out with an appeal in this regard. It appeared in the local dailies notifying all its members, to remain ever vigilant and alert in the discharge of their duties so as to avoid any untoward incidents.
