It's that time again. Time when a bunch of blokes would form a team, and run a green ground trying to get one single ball to a specific area of the other side of the ground. And the whole world will go crazy about it! That is the magic of Football World Cup. My father, who was a football player himself, introduced me to this magic, and Football and World Cups were a big part of my growing up!
My first memories of watching international football on television is the Mexico World Cup in 1986, when we first got television at home. My father would explain the finer aspects of the game to me - what off-the-ball-movement was, how the goal scorer got in to a position to score, how a defender anticipates the trajectory of the ball. After a couple of World Cups, I was in a position to discuss those aspects, and would sometimes suggest him the matches to watch (he would only watch one match each night). Every four years, those 30 days would be a time of special bonding between us - it was our time, at times when we would collectively get scolded for watching too much football by my mother, times when we would set our alarm clocks so that we could get up at 3 a.m. and watch a match! Even at times, when I was not in Kolkata during the World Cups, I would call my father up and discuss teams, and get his opinion on players.
This year, I will watch the matches, but for the first time, I would not have anyone to discuss the matches with. I am not sure I will enjoy this World Cup as much as before!
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A long and rushed year
10 months ago
10 comments:
I know how the one month of football can be specially in Cal. sheer madness , and also how you must be feeling but you know your dad is still around in spirit and would be happy to see you enjoy the beautiful game..
:(
you could call Papa, he'll definitely be watching them too haha. we even subscribed to the channel, which he ususally only does for cricket ;P
:(
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I am stuck on the east side, soccer watching friends on the west side...it isn't the same watching on one's own.
What a heartfelt post. Thank you for sharing these memories of your father with us. And as Anuradha said so beautifully, your father is very much around in spirit and would be happy to see you enjoy the game.
Subbu re! I guess this is time for you to carry on the tradition! like the Phantom
Find someone who knows nothing about soccer, and teach him/her about the game!
I have always wondered how you and Deepu manage to know so much about this game, when I don't find the exact same thing tough to understand!
Take care bro!
@Swati
It's ok :) please
@Anu
Thanks :) Will you be watching the World Cup too?
@Deeps
Which team for you?
@Iman
I know Anjanda will watch! And I am sure you will not!
@Jas
You get better TV watching time in the east, don't you? :)
@Sayan10e
Thanks :)
Hey yeah ofcourse .. You know we bought our first TV on EMI in 1986 big 29" (forced mum) to watch the world cup and ofcourse did the same here during last worldcup 1996 picked up a big tv two days before for the spectacle.. And about missing dad i am sure every match you watch you would be speaking to him in silence. My last conversation with my dad was about rahul dravid ... but life has to go on !
@Anu
The TV buying tradition is there at my house too. 86, 98, 2002 (bought it on my own at Delhi), upgrade in 2006. This year, I am breaking the tradition as I really don't need another TV!
Actually, yeah. :)
We have been planning all the experimental work around the world cup schedule! :D
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