After 11 World Cups, football finally comes home for 1 Indian fan

KOLKATA: From Diego Maradona’s infamous “Hand of God” to Zinedine Zidane’s headbutt, Indian football fan Dipak Nandy has witnessed some of the World Cup’s defining moments from the stands. But on Saturday, the 77-year-old will savor a rare sporting occasion from the comfort of his hometown Kolkata, where Brazil take on his home country in their first-ever international friendly. Nandy, who has travelled far and wide to attend 11 World Cups, will take in this particular match in front of the television.

Aside from the novelty of welcoming the Selecao to town, he has fond memories of Carlo Ancelotti, the Brazil coach whom he watched as a player for Italy. Nandy’s love affair with the game started in 1966, when Indian former footballer and coach Amal Dutta brought video reels of the World Cup back to Kolkata from England. “I was sitting in one of the screenings and got bitten by the bug—and promised myself that one day I will go watch the World Cup,” he said.

That remained a distant dream until a friend invited him to Mexico, which hosted the tournament in 1986. “At that time a passport needed four to five months for processing—but somehow I got it made in 15 days, and I went for my first World Cup,” Nandy said. He has been to every tournament since, including this year’s edition co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada.

Among Nandy’s cherished memories are the seven matches involving Argentine legend Diego Maradona, whom he described as a once-in-a-lifetime player. “He played unbelievable football and played a lone hand in making Argentina champions,” he told AFP, his eyes glittering. “There will be none like him. I walk out of the room when people compare Pele and Maradona.”

He was in the crowd when Maradona single-handedly defeated England with two goals in 1986 - one a blatant handball, the other a glorious run from inside his own half. Other recollections include the 2006 final in Germany, when France captain Zidane was notoriously sent off for headbutting Marco Materazzi of Italy, who went on to win on penalties. “I will go to every World Cup till I die—health and money permitting,” said Nandy. “The amount of money I spent on watching football live, I could have built a huge building, but I don’t regret it. Rather, I am proud of it.”

Nandy has his own theories about why India, the world’s most populous nation, fares so poorly in the sport. They have never qualified for a World Cup and have only made four appearances at the Olympics, finishing fourth out of 11 teams in 1956. “The countries that have peaked in football have one single culture with good weather,” Nandy said, grumbling about the sport’s “weak organization” and the popularity of cricket. “India have different religions, food and cultures, and hot and humid weather, which doesn’t help the cause.”— AFP