Though there are more people in Gujarat who will be betting on the World Cup soccer than those who play football, Sadar Bazar is an exception.
AHMEDABAD: Though there are more people in Gujarat who will be betting on the World Cup soccer than those who play football, Sadar Bazar, a locality with a population of just over 6,000 in Shahibaug area of the city is an exception.
Popularly known as ‘Mini Brazil,’ this area has as many as 47 football teams and there are more than 650 fanatic soccer players aged between 5 to 60 years. What’s more, in a state where cricket is equivalent of sports, as many as 65 players from ‘Mini Brazil’ have played national level football tournaments including Santosh Trophy.
Interestingly, ‘Mini Brazil’ which has traditionally been a die hard Brazil supporter is praying for Argentina’s victory. Sadar Bazar’s passion for football has its roots in the British Raj. “There were many British officers in Shahibaug. Our children watched them playing football and learnt the rules of the game. The passion then passed to the next generation and now it is in our blood. Our kids start learning football when they are five,” says 46 years old Siraj Gavli who is a referee in the Gujarat State Football Association.
The void created by the Britishers’ exit has been filled in by the Army. “We have an army cantonment football ground nearby and most of our kids go there to learn the skills of the game,” says Rajubhai Pardesi, a local and State Bank of India employee.
However, there is an undercurrent of complaint also in these players who say that the fervour for football may fade in coming years because of the cut in the sports quota in government jobs. Economic compulsions are also threatening to change the identity of this locality. Jigar Chauhan, a goalkeeper in a local college team voices the concern shared by many of his generation. “The game of football is like a god to all of us. I have played the game from very early age but I can’t get a job with it. I am seriously thinking of leaving football,” he said.
Soccer craze even after death!
The soccer crazy locals here don’t donate money to temples or other charities when someone dies in the family! They sponsor memorial tournaments for their deceased relatives.
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