Football fever alive and kicking

Even three months after the World Cup final in Berlin, children in the city still prefer to kick around, despite the media hype surrounding the ICC Champions Trophy.

MUMBAI: What is your favourite/most remembered sporting moment from this year so far? Almost 90 percent of the people will say ‘Zinedine Zidane head-butting Marco Materazzi’ in the World Cup final. At least all the kids that one met during the last one week said that. As Oliver Wendell Holmes, the famous 19th century American poet, says, “pretty much all the honest truth-telling there is in the world is done by children.”

Today is exactly three months since that final in Berlin between Italy and France. The excitement is long gone, the hype long dead. But any football fan will agree that two months preceding the event and the one month of the event were, well, just so different — especially in this cricket crazy city of Mumbai.

It was the time of real sport, not ‘players’ giving autographs by the boundary lines. It was also such a relief to have ‘good-looking’ men (Totti, Ballack, Beckham, — in that order) stare down at you from the billboards. Really, Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Virender Sehwag are no Adonises.

Football fever — real or not?: It was also the time when more kids in the city were playing football than cricket — or at least that’s what some of the surveys conducted by sponsor companies said.

So was that interest really genuine and has it sustained? “It has. In these past few months I have worked closely with kids in football. The sport is on the up-swing in this city,” says Sanjiv Saran Mehra, CEO of Saran Presents. The company organises sports events/camps for children, and also manages the Mahindra Mumbai Football League (MFL).

“In May-June, just before the start of the tournament, the interest in the game was tremendous. More kids were coming for camps, talent hunts, even parents showed a lot of enthusiasm. That is understandable because of the magnitude of the tournament. But even now, I see no change.”

But now Champions Trophy is upon us. And soon to follow is the cricket World Cup in West Indies. Can football in the city survive this onslaught?

“In India, people are only interested when India plays. Maybe, because of the Champions Trophy almost 90 percent of print space or air time will go to cricket. But that is not a reflection on public interest. During non-India match days, the stands will be empty. What does that say to you? Nor is it a reflection on interest in football. Kids are just as enthusiastic,” says Mehra. “In fact, I will be launching a junior premier league in the city by November-December.”

Mehra’s inference is reiterated by Nirvan Shah, director of Premier India Football Academy (PIFA). “Kids have been flocking to the academy. Since the World Cup we have had an almost 25 to 30% increase in the number of children attending our academy. We have over 300 children enrolled with us.”

The actual goal: Despite all the talk of interest, enthusiasm, there are many questions that need immediate answers. Will the Indian team ever be good enough to compete in the World Cup? For how long does the Indian fan have to cheer for Brazil? Cricket gives Indians a chance at overt patriotism. Football doesn’t. And the times aren’t likely to change soon.

“True, but it’s at the grassroot level where the change has to happen. And I do see it taking place,” says Souter Vaz, Mumbai District Football Association (MDFA) secretary and treasurer. “Last month we had U-17 trials for the Maharashtra state team. More than 70 boys turned up. That number is more than we’ve had in the last five years.”

He adds as an after thought, “Attendance for the Elite league of the MFL is increasing. People are coming to the ground. Let’s just say, it is because of the World Cup.”

Oh cricket!: For the next one month you might think there isn’t any other sport in the world besides cricket. Just in case you want to get away from the ‘marriage of cricket and entertainment’, watch EPL during weekends. If only for some real sport!