Argentina, Brazil, two weddings and a brawl
Messi, Neymar supporters clash in Kerala
Roshan was Neymar Jr in Brazilian colours and Monisha sported Messi’s Argentina jersey as they posed for pictures.
What’s happening in Kerala? Mob violence in the name of football? That’s reprehensible. We know that the South Indian state of Kerala is home to some of India’s most avid football fans. More specifically, fans of Brazil and Argentina. But a gang fight is unimaginable in a state with 100 per cent literacy.
Football parades or rallies in support of Brazil and Argentina ahead of their games are common in Kerala when a World Cup comes around. They are largely peaceful, barring some heckling or jeering from supporters of rival teams. But the fight in Shaktikulangara in Kollam district on Sunday (November 20) surpassed all that.
Street fight
Before the World Cup inauguration at the Al Bayt Stadium in Doha, Brazil and Argentina fans in the town of Shaktikulangara took out rallies in support of their teams. When the demonstrations passed what looked like a cemetery, fights broke out. Reports say it started with fisticuffs before flagstaff and iron pipes were used as it descended into a full-fledged brawl.
The fervour in Kerala went up several notches ahead of the World Cup in Qatar. The giant cut-out images of Messi, Neymar and Ronaldo were installed on an islet in the river in Pullavoor village of Kozhikode. The photos were widely shared on social media. Even Fifa tweeted it, saying World Cup fever has hit Kerala.
Much of the football fever centred around the World Cup as several towns erected giant screens to watch the games in Qatar. Bizarrely, that interest percolated to weddings too. At least two marriages in the Thrissur district reflected the passion for football.
Newly-weds Roshan and Monisha opted for a World Cup-themed wedding photo shoot. Roshan was Neymar Jr in Brazilian colours and Monisha sported Messi’s Argentina jersey as they posed for pictures. Latin American rivals under a roof: that happens only in Kerala.