AFTER KIKI, DU TAKES DELE ALLI CHALLENGE; NAIL IT OR FAIL IT, ALL’S COOL
The celebratory gesture made by the footballer, after he scored a goal, has got youngsters hooked — and they’re getting creative, too
Move over Kiki Challenge. This is the moment for the Dele Alli challenge. It’s not anywhere near as dangerous as dancing outside a moving car, but repeated attempts at the hand trick might just leave one with a sprained wrist. All the same, the bravehearts of Delhi University have stepped up to try this finger contortion popularised by Tottenham Hotspur footballer Dele Alli.
Whether one nails it or fails it, the challenge is the perfect conversation-starter in the classroom or a fun game of juniors versus seniors at a freshers’ welcome party.
But first, what is this Dele Alli challenge? At a recent Premier League game, after scoring a goal against the rival team, footballer Dele Alli made an OK sign with his fingers and circled his eyes. However, the last three fingers were flat on his forehead — it looks easy, but trust us, it’s not. (Because... ahem, we’ve tried it, too, of course.) In no time, this became the #DeleAlliChallenge, with everyone trying out the hand trick and posting pictures on social media. Some have even complicated the hand gesture and have challenged Alli back to try their version. And the footballer has done it!
Bas, phir kya... our DU dudes and dudettes also said they’d do it. Saumya Bhatia, a third-year Hindu College student, got creative with it. “Challenges like these are both frivolous and fun. I had been trying to get it right for a while but failed. I made up my own formation and nailed it. And posted it online,” says Bhatia.
Doing the Dele Alli helped Anubha Jacob, a second-year student of St Stephen’s, make new friends. She says, “The challenge is fun and I enjoyed doing it once I learned the trick. I challenged a lot of people to do it, and they all failed. But still, everybody got so addicted to this challenge. I think this is one of the best challenges that have taken over the Internet; it’s now making our mundane lives fun. I’m loving it!”
The challenge has gone one level up, like we said earlier in this article. The gesture now involves covering both eyes with looped fingers. Naman Goyal, a student of PGDAV college, says, “Alli is my favourite player and I love all his gestures. I know how to roll the fingers to get the perfect pose. I didn’t post it on social media but I love to take up these challenges.”
Almost every freshers’ do organised by the various departments of DU colleges now sees the fuchchas doing this. Asra Siddiqui, a third-year student of Hindu College, says, “We have our departmental freshers’ [welcome] later this month. I’m going to give this challenge to the fuchchas. It’ll be so cool and trendy — plus a fun way to bond.”
Challenges like these are both frivolous and fun. I had been trying to get it right for a while but failed. I made up my own formation and nailed it. And posted it online. SAUMYA BHATIA STUDENT, HINDU COLLEGE