Hyderabad: The FIFA World Cup, which kicks off this Friday, has created a new wave of excitement in the city. Football enthusiasts are looking forward to watching the matches at special screenings, while some fans have travelled to the host venues.
The tournament, featuring an expanded 48-team format, running from June 12 to July 20 (IST) has generated greater interest in Hyderabad after Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy kicked a football along with the legendary Lionel Messi during the Argentine star’s G.O.A.T. India Tour in December at the Uppal stadium.
Ronald Benedict, striker for local team Royal United, said this World Cup was special for him. “I grew up watching Cristiano Ronaldo and this is his last World Cup. I will be cheering for Portugal. I plan to watch the matches with my teammates at a common place,” he said.
The city’s football fans are largely divided between Argentina’s Lionel Messi and Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo. Many fans are preparing to stay awake for midnight kick-offs to watch the matches.
Ketan Agarwal, director of a group of bars, said there was strong interest among customers. “There is a lot of excitement among clients to watch these matches, but the timings are odd in India. Some matches end around midnight. We are working out special screenings for those matches,” he said.
Local fans, fan clubs, youth groups and university students are also planning midnight screenings. Viral reels of local parades, jersey displays and car rallies have already emerged from several neighbourhoods.
Some fans are also travelling abroad to watch the tournament. Businessman Moses Reddy said, “I am travelling to the USA and Canada to watch some of the matches.”
Mustafah Hussain Syed, vice-president of operations for a group of hotels in New York, told Deccan Chronicle that there was strong demand for hotel rooms during the tournament. “Indian visitors may number between 5,000 and 10,000, but strict visa and screening processes have restricted the numbers.”
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: deccanchronicle.com
