Get the ball ROLLING!

Football has picked up even more in popularity since Chennaiyin FC won the trophy at the ISL tournament — and partially, because Chennai Super Kings won’t be playing the IPL this year. Now it’s not just a sport that people play on dusty public grounds, and is growing to a whole new level. From street footsy arenas that host league matches, rooftop stadiums with world-class turf and changing rooms, to foam football facilities — all this in our very city! We speak to the people at the forefront of this revolution to find out more about it.

According to Ahmed Jalaluddeen, who was one of the founding partners of Soap Football, “People like me don’t enjoy playing the proper European style football, but enjoy just goofing around. My partner happened to visit a soap football arena in the Middle East and loved it, so we decided to introduce it in Chennai.” The floor is made up of thick layers of foam, topped with a coating of PVC. Diluted soap water is then poured all over the floor, so players can get to slip and slide and enjoy the game. “Rules — there are no rules! Four players in each team can play for an hour, and just score goals. It’s not as rigid as the normal game,” he adds.

The facility is set to open in a few weeks, in Nungam-bakkam. “Many youngsters are coming up to the arena and are curious about what we’re doing. The fact that foam football is so entertainment-oriented and doesn’t have any age barrier will make it a success,” he says.

Rohit Ravindran recently launched Kick-Off, a first-of-its-kind street football arena, located on ECR. “I used to play FIFA Street, the video game, when I was a child — this is based on Brazilian street football. There are no boundaries in this game; even if the ball touches a wall, players just need to deflect it and then the game goes on,” he explains. The response to Kick-Off surprised Rohit — “Chennai has many talented players. Right from IT professionals to school children, they come here to make new friends and form teams as well,” he says.

Agreeing with him is Prahlad Meyyappan, who was once an amateur in football himself — “People in Chennai have taken to this game after realising that football can become a serious profession, thanks to the ISL of course. Chennai is now seeing world-class football facilities like astro turfs, changing rooms, showers and even lighting to play matches late into the night, which is encouraging more people to play. The public like to watch live matches and kids love it when their parents and friends cheer for them from the stands!” he adds. “Football becomes a point of social meetings, a great way to stay fit, and even a viable career option for some.”

MBA graduate Vignesh Ravi, who’s been following and playing the game closely for more than 15 years, says “Football wasn’t this popular when I used to play as a kid. But things have changed — children watch the game not just for their favourite star players, but also because they like the clubs. Such classy facilities and arenas give relief to poor souls like me who have spent hours waiting for the big annas to clear out and give us a chance to play on the dusty grounds. The superior infrastructure makes me feel like I’m playing an international match!” he concludes.