We have no
idea whether it was the decision of the bride or the groom. But whosoever it was,
the decision of screening the India-Pakistan match at their wedding was perhaps
the best entertainment arrangement they could have done for their special day.
A day after India decimated its arch rival Pakistan in the World Cup for the
sixth consecutive time, the above picture of an Indian wedding screening the
most-watched match of the tournament to ensure healthy attendance of
well-wishers at the wedding, surfaced and went viral on social media within
minutes.
It is
perhaps a good thing that the teams of both India and Pakistan are not
competitive enough to play in the football World Cup. Else, the legendary
rivalry between the two neighbours would have given the likes of Brazil and
Germany a run for their money in terms of the viewership that the matches
enjoy. Although India as a country has been crazy about cricket since probably
the invention of the game (remember Lagaan?), Goa despite being an integral
part of India has shown more affinity towards football. However, as the cricket
World Cup progresses, the state finds itself succumbing to the World Cup fever
that grips the entire nation, thanks to this gala cricketing event that comes
every four years. Aditya Korgaonkar, a cricket fan from Panjim, says, “While
all the other participating nations in the cricket World Cup have the single
aim of winning the title, India and Pakistan have a double challenge – one, of
winning the title and two – of defeating each other, which is perhaps taken
much more seriously than the former motive, thanks to the cricket crazy
population that both the nations enjoy. Fortunately, or unfortunately, India
has already done that this year. I think it is easy cruising for India from now
on to qualify for the quarter-finals.”
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A large
section of fans in Goa, like Aditya, seem to be satisfied with India triumphing
over Pakistan and have little interest in whether or not India goes on to win
the tournament. Others who claim to be the true fans of the game are happy with
Pakistan’s defeat against India but also want India to do well in every game
that it plays in future. One such fan, Rohit Chari from Khadpabandh in Ponda,
who is known to predict the speed of the ball bowled with eerie accuracy, says,
“I enjoy the game of cricket as a whole. Of course, I support India but I’m not
one of those who lose interest in the tournament once, and if, India is out. It
is interesting to watch players of other nations give their best and put up a
good show in a bid to win the title. The tournament is far from over!”
