For anyone who has bowled at least once, the heart beats faster once the World Cup begins. It is impossible to play neutral. Just move to some slum. Either Brazil or Argentina. Otherwise, Germany, Italy or Portugal. This is the religion of football. Once you join this religion, it’s hard to leave. When you play in Qatar, there’s not a single fan who doesn’t feel disappointed that he didn’t arrive and melt into applause.
Qatar is one of the second homes for Malayalis. For the people of Malapram, it’s closer to home. At least one person in the household is from a Gulf country. There are many families in this hill country whose entire family lines up in the World Cup stands. There is also expat sweat in the flags, banners and flags raised in every alleyway. All these processions, noises and games tell the story of the debt to that land. All social media profiles are shouting that this is our World Cup.
After the World Cup, Malayalis took up running after seeing Maradona’s incredible feats at the Azteca stadium in Mexico. At that time, the eyes of the Malayali were drawn to the antennae which were tied to the threads and towered towards the sky. Antennas rose from the coconut trees like a broom lifted to clear the sky. It has become a sign of domination. Maradona hit the ball when it beat his chest when his antennae flapped in the wind. Those were the days I prayed for something brighter than “Gransie” to appear on TV.
Gradually, the antennae became more and more dwarfed. Later, they became aluminum bars strapped to bikes and carried around bike shops. Flat-brimmed umbrellas arrived to offer majestic views of the grand houses.
The leads came with sightings on electric poles and bamboo poles. Gone are the days of DTH. Views moved from terrestrial broadcast to satellite. A private channel began broadcasting in Kerala a year before Maradona bowed his head like a criminal at the 1994 US World Cup.
The world is moving faster than the ball is rolling. Television has become another level with LCD, plasma, LED and smart. From blurry visions to HD With excellence, the playing field has come straight to the living room. Montcheri will show the game and the pitch when he arrived in Qatar from the 1986 World Cup in Mexico. Qatar-22 proved to be an unprecedented technical World Cup.
Views of Monchulla from that soil are filled with Facebook and Instagram. To the Europeans who asked if this small country can afford the World Cup, Qatar is saying, look bhai, this is the World Cup of the new era!