Features: Magazine | Literary Review | Life | Metro Plus | Open Page | Education Plus | Book Review | Business | SciTech | Friday Review | Young World | Property Plus | Quest | Folio |

EVENT

Kick-starting a welcome trend

Everybody is down with soccer fever, writes T.SARAVANAN

PHOTO:G. MOORTHY

FLAIR FOR THE GAME Glued to the idiot box

"Come on...shoot", "Oh...you missed the target again..." you hear these desperate cries as you step into the dingy room packed with over 100 avid young football lovers watching the FIFA World Cup matches live on the 14 inch colour television. In fact, the TV set is the only source of light in the dark room, but nobody seems to mind. They are all so engrossed in the action on TV. Each time a striker nears the goal post, the crowd breaks into a synchronized roar coupled with high pitch whistling. It seems as if the audience is almost watching the match live in the stadium. The emotional outbursts take time to settle.

The football pulse is felt everywhere now. Everybody is down with soccer fever. Visit any playground and you will invariably find die-hard fans attempting the moves and techniques they watch on TV. Perhaps, it reaffirms that passion for the sport remains intact, so what even if India is not a participating team.

Passionate to the core

Agrees R. Sadacharam, secretary, Madurai District Football Association "The passion for football has never declined. Only expectations soar as everyone likes to become a Ronaldo or Ronaldinho within days of wearing their football spikes." To cash in on the soccer mania, the district association has booked a slot in a local cable channel during weekends to air a programme that analyses the matches played during the week. The capsulated programme also features tips and expert comments as an added attraction. Renowned football coach, G. Sokkanathan (who had groomed Indian footballer Raman Vijayan), and former professor of Physical Education, Dr. Poun Radha, have been roped in for the purpose.

The football matches are also being screened at several places in the city including Tirunagar Burma Colony and Don Bosco Industrial Training Institute. "With new incumbents at the helm of association affairs, the MDFA is now alive and vibrant, especially after industrialist B.T. Bangera, who himself is a former footballer, took charge as president. The association has plenty of programmes to promote the game in a big way," Mr. Sadacharam avers.

C.M. Ramesh Babu, former national football referee, shares his opinion: "In fact, the association had plans to install a big screen at a school, but could not, as apprehensions over the conduct of the public over-ruled such an arrangement."

In tune with the season's hoopla, several companies have announced offers to woo the customers. It is quite natural for those in the business industry to pounce upon every opportune moment to push forward their product.

Especially, the television-manufacturing companies, which have launched special campaigns and advertisement drives to sell their products.

"The World Cup football has definitely kick-started an upswing in sales. Companies have introduced new television models, ranging from slim versions to liquid crystal display television sets, to attract the people. On the higher end, the wide screen and plasma TVs have also flooded the market, making life difficult for the customer to choose from the plenty," says P. Ramakrishnan, manager of a private TV showroom. With the month-long tournament, which concludes on July 9, reaching the second stage, the companies are optimistic about the last minute upsurge in their sales.

Not to be left behind is the automobile industry. It has also joined the offer bandwagon, organising impressive loan and exchange melas to get its products sold.

Welcome trend

Generally, Madurai has always been considered a football hub, producing quality players. Most of the players graduated and left the city in pursuit of greener pastures.

But, after a long time, educational institutions, especially professional colleges, have started to show a keen interest in developing individual football teams.

Some colleges have even gone a step further by appointing individual football coaches for their teams. They have also come forward to sponsor promising football talents.

With more players coming out the only problem that irks the association now is lack of grounds.

"As the synthetic track laying work is on at the Race Course Stadium, it has become extremely difficult for the association to hold back these talents," S. Samsudeen, former football player, expresses concern.

The MDFA has planned to stage a series of league tournaments and other State-level invitation tournaments for different categories in the days to come.

Should the schools and other colleges cooperate with the association, the days are not far off when the city would regain its lost glory and become a football stronghold once again, producing players in the calibre of Raman Vijayan.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail