Kangho
Christmas and Easter comes once in a year. The World Cup comes once in 4 years. They are all times for the family to be together. Many events, ups and downs, twists and turns, roads and walls will be encountered before the next, Christmas, Easter or World Cup. This World Cup Germany 2006, the family was together. We shared the disappointment of Brazil, the rise of France and the well-deserved triumph of Italy.
In peace-torn Nagalim, the factions set glued to the screen, cadres sharing their opinions and views of the matches in their respective camps. Freedom of expression in perfect tranquility. Politicians of different hues, bureaucrats, businessmen and ordinary citizens in towns and villages alike watched the same event enacted in TV’S of different prices and sizes. The Power Dept. be praised. Their advises on how to share the little power we have so that we can all watch the World Cup live stood us all in good stead. Even on the finals when for 15 minutes or so the light played truant before the match started, when we had started our first mumble of curse, when our negative imagination started saying what if there was a major fault somewhere and the light never came, what if a storm started, what if the line to the cable operators continued to be blacked out even if it came to us, what if … and lo! Mr. power in all his royalty came back and we forgot to worry about anything on Earth till Zidane made us all fall ill at the 111th minute of the great match. So our imagination came back and ruffled us with if he had only not given in to the devil at the fag end of the game and his illustrious career, if Materazzi had not just mouthed those till now unknown combination of words, if… if .. and we retired not quite able to take in full measure the joy in the victory of the champions. Such is humane nature and Zidane was but human.
They said wars have gone into suspension because of the World Cup. The world has indeed been united, at least in its interest and delight in the world’s greatest tournament of the world’s most favorite game.
Blessed be the gift of football to this at times very hopeless world. The cheers, sighs of relief, the disappointments and jubilation that the World Cup gives us makes us all humane once again. As the hangover of the World Cup slowly wears off, I recollect an interesting thing in the not so serious banter I shared with my son, when the finals was coming to an end. I jokingly but with half a wish said ‘son, next World Cup we will go there in person’ meaning we will save enough money and go to S. Africa for the World Cup 2010. He said ‘yes’ enthusiastically. But he had a different thing in mind. He said he will be there as a member of the World Cup Nagalim team. I felt left out. He had his head shaven like Zidane, but it was he told me to have better hair growth that would be amenable for the Beckham style. He has just seen thirteen and is yet to make it into his school team. By next World Cup time he woulds be 17 or so. He has seen Zidane, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho and Beckham play. The careless thought spoken out loud seemed to spark a little dream. Nagalim by then ? it is possible. A Nagalim World Cup team for South Africa 2010, as in the South Korea and Japan World Cup team in Germany 2006.
Maybe……let’s see. No harm dreaming. Que Sera, Sera, What will be, will be.
