17 Oct 2017  |   06:27am IST

WHERE IS ALL THE CUP BUZZ?

This is supposed to be the biggest football tournament ever in the country. It provides a window to the stars of tomorrow. Think of a big star today and there is a very good chance they will have played in the U-17 world cup sometime in the past. However in Goa, the response to this world class tournament has been rather underwhelming. Café looks into why this has happened

Ajit John

The name of the game today is marketing.

Creating a buzz around a property is vital. One has to only look at games like cricket and Kabbadi which have turned sexy, thanks to snazzy marketing. Hardy country boys from mofussil towns are now recognised around India thanks to their prowess in kabbadi and the aggressive media coverage of that sport. Football in Goa is an entirely different kind of animal. It is similar to the Mumbaikar’s love for his or her cricket. It is in the blood. The love for the beautiful game is visible all around. Inter-village tournaments attract large crowds and some of the country’s big stars first made their mark in such tournaments. The ISL is another tournament that attracts fanatical crowds with fans of Goa FC present all over. Fans brand their vehicles and it is not uncommon to see some fans tattoo the club logo on their arms. Every win or defeat is very personal and is always analysed in great detail. All this merely confirms what everyone believes to be true – that Goa is the centre of the beautiful game in India. In Goa, lies the soul of the sport. But then what happened?

For Alvaro Miranda, the u-17 world cup was being played in the state and he had not paid any attention to it. Alvaro says “I have been busy with work and have not paid any attention. I love my football; I follow the premier league with great passion. Chelsea is the team that I follow. During the ISL, I follow FC Goa. With regards the poor attendance at matches in Goa especially in the west stand, please understand this stand was booked for senior government officials for the World Cup. They received their tickets but did not bother to turn up for the game. The marketing of the world cup has been pathetic in Goa. There are a few hoardings around the Fatorda stadium, otherwise nothing. I have watched FC Goa sitting in the west stand, and it was packed”. He went on to say that the absence of local players could have also turned off the Goan public who need some connection. Goa, he says loved its football but the heart of the game was now certainly in the north east. People over here, he says, loved to watch certain teams and that is it, nothing else. The authorities, he says, should spent more money on marketing the event and that shortcoming is now there for all to see.

llewellyn Rodrigues, another fan of the game again highlighted the poor timing of the matches. They coincided with the corporate work schedule in the state, and another reason he feels for the poor turnout, was the absence of any games featuring India, the home team. He said” Watching your team play in your own stadium is always a great experience. I am sure; it would have been a full house, if that was the case”. Goa, he insists remained the centre of the games in the country, and of that fact there is no doubt.

Perhaps the most cogent answer was given by a young fan who preferred to go by his moniker, ‘Lulu’, who felt that complimentary passes were de rigueur at such world events. Empty stadiums he feels were not only a problem in Goa, but also in Kochi. The tickets for the Brazil v Spain matches were sold out in Kochi, but on the day of the match, there were vast swathes of empty seats. The organisers, he feels had not anticipated this problem, and perhaps it would make sense, if even more school children were be invited for these matches. Goa, he insists remains the nerve centre of the game in the country and will remain so for a very long time. Perhaps if the authorities expended some more effort on promoting the event, the knock out stages could attract large crowds.