HYDERABAD: An Indian XI in the biggest sporting event of the decade - the 2006 World Cup soccer championship commencing in Germany from June 9! Espn-Star Sports will soon launch a nation-wide quiz programme for football fans and the 11 proud winners from all over the country will be picked to represent India, as spectators, in the World Cup matches in Germany, according to Sricharan Iyengar, VP (Marketing & Sales), Espn-Star Sports.

"It is not just enough to telecast the mega event live across India and other neighbouring countries but we want to translate the tremendous interest likely to be generated from the event into a new face for the sport itself in the sub-continent," he affirms.

All-time greats

The quiz programme will be telecast during the run-up series tracing the history and the profiles of footballers who walked tall in the World Cup arena over the years.

According to rough estimates, the World Cup will be watched by an estimated 65 million viewers, a quantum jump from 35 million for the last edition in India alone.

For once, the popularity and ratings of the World Cup are bound to stump even diehard cricket fans.

More interestingly, teams from the Espn-Star channel will focus on India-centred programmes right through the World Cup too.

Like following the Indian fans there and also the reaction stories of the soccer fans back home in major centres like Kolkata, Goa, Kochi and Bangalore.

The good news for Indian football lovers is that the sports channel will telecast all 64 matches live with most of the matches commencing from 6.30 pm daily.

To cater to the needs of the Indian viewers, Espn-Star Sports will also beam the matches with Hindi commentary simultaneously.

From Wednesday, the FIFA Preview series will begin from Mondays to Fridays at 9.30 pm and from May 25, the FIFA Stories series featuring some intriguing angles to some of the most amazing chapters of the sport.

Some of the World Cup-related programmes are already being beamed to provide the right build-up for the biggest sporting event this decade.

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