The state's passion for the game runs deep. Here, fans are few, most are fanatics. And, this craze has made Kerala a global talking point, with international media and commentators unable to contain their amusement at the Malayali's celebration of the Qatar World Cup. In fact, the buzz started way before the tournament kicked off.
In September, the official FIFA World Cup handle tweeted a documentary named 'Maitanam - The story of football in Kerala', with the succinct caption "Football is love. Football is life. Football is everything in the heart of Kerala." Keralites proved that right counting down to the greatest sporting event. Giant cut-outs of Messi, Neymar and Ronaldo emerged, one after the other, along the Pullavoor river in Kozhikode district.
Yet again, FIFA tweeted it, and the picture went viral globally. Since then, the cut-out war between fan clubs has been raging across the state.
Tensions have flared as the contest for prime spots for cutouts boiled over multiple times.
Lewy on target
In another drama-filled day in Qatar, Australia and Poland kept their dreams alive but Saudi Arabia had a mild setback.
Denne historien er fra November 27, 2022-utgaven av The New Indian Express.
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