The World on a pitch

Updated on: Monday, July 05, 2010

The onset of the admission season sees frenetic activity at Delhi University. Students from different parts of the country descend on the campus to gain admission in their preferred colleges. However, step into the international hostel of the university and a relaxed and warm atmosphere greets you. Here, the football world cup has taken centre stage.

Students from different nationalities have marked their favourite teams. Many of the students staying here on campus are from the African continent and with the world cup being staged in Africa for the first time, it's a matter of pride for them. "I was supporting Ivory Coast because of Didier Drogba, but with them being out I am hoping that Brazil would win," says Adebisi Aderayo who is from Nigeria. Aderayo who was a professional football player finds little time to play football in the university campus.

The hostel has students from various nationalities like China, Germany, Holland and Fiji, among others. Hence, it is justifiable that the atmosphere in the common room is charged with polarised allegiances. "Many a time we have two sects of students supporting different teams, you will see them sitting separately so that no one gets in the way of the others' celebrations. Thankfully, we all don't speak the same language or else it would be difficult to manage," jokes Pankaj Giri, the president of the international students and a student from Nepal.

"We have also had students from Germany and Holland who have taken a break and are travelling around India during the world cup, city-hopping , celebrating their team's success with more people," says Ashmeel Kim, a student from Fiji. The world cup has also inspired these students to set up their own little football backyard where a handful of students, spurred on by the inescapable fervour , match their footballing skills.

Football also serves as a connection to places that they belong to. "That's the beauty of football. It unites people and helps them connect with events that we have lived before. And even though we have our own favourite teams, in the end we know it is a game," says Giri.

Giri believes that the world cup helps in getting people from diverse backgrounds together when otherwise they don't have any reason to stick together. "People gather around the TV, especially for the matches that are late in the night because by that time everyone is in the hostel. We don't want the football world cup to end because it adds colour to our lives in a foreign land," sums up Giri.

Times of India

The World on a pitch

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