Kochiites in grip of football fever

Kochi: Kochi might have witnessed a meager crowd of hundreds during last year’s Santosh Trophy football tournament at Kaloor stadium. The city might not be as spiritual as the Malabarians when it comes to worshipping football legends. But Kochi is always consumed by true football fever once the Fifa World Cup hoists its flag in six days. The city is getting into the groove of Brazuca and Samba music this time, when the World Cup reaches Brazil, the country where the game is played most beautifully.

Various football clubs and organizations based in Kochi are already geared up to welcome the World Cup in the best way with flex boards and cutouts of star players being prepared behind the screens. Bhagath Soccer Club is organizing a series of programmes with the title Hungama. “We will conduct a state-level football tournament, road shows, quiz competitions, a half marathon and an exhibition of football photographs. A book about the history of football will also be released as part of the World Cup. We have also made the arrangements to telecast the World Cup matches live on giant screens,” said V.P. Chandran, the general convener of Hungama fest of Bhagath Soccer Club.

Several companies including the IT firms at Infopark are also getting into the World Cup mood by planning to organize parties during star-studded matches and are also conducting football tournaments among employees. The Ernakulam press club is also learnt to be organizing a football tournament for all the newspapers and news channels in Kochi.

Electronics and home appliances companies are the other significant parties that have picked up the World Cup theme for the next one month, with most of the multinational companies launching football special advertising campaigns. Sony Bravia, the official TV partner of the FIFA World Cup 2014, at a press meet in Kochi on Thursday, announced that it was targeting a growth rate of 350 percent with expected sales of more than 30,000 units in Kochi region alone.