By Ashim Sunam
Football fans across the nation were very disappointed as they were not able to watch some important EPL clashes, as ESPN had decided to broadcast the cash rich Champions League. At the end, it was the football fans, who lost out on the EPL action.
DAVID HAOKIP, a Liverpool fan never misses out watching his favourite team, Liverpool, play during the English Premier league. He makes sure that there is no disturbance during the game. But it was a frustrating and gloomy day for Haokip last Saturday, as he could not watch Liverpool play against Wolverhampton Wanderers. Feeling helpless, Haokip thought he was one of those few thousands of football fans who grew in the wrong part of the world, where every second person is an ardent cricket fan, in the cricket-obssessed nation of India.
The official broadcasters, ESPN and Star, were busy covering the cash rich Champions League T20, 2011. As a result, Star Sports showed only Manchester City’s game Vs Everton, and United’s game later on - and due to some reason missed showing the Liverpool vs Wolverhampton Wanderers game - leading to Haokip losing his cool. Football fans across the country were not able to see what they love - a solid game of fast-paced European league precission football. Considering that during the weekend, EPL witnesses around 10 matches - it was a huge let down for football lovers.
For football fans across the country, it is on Saturdays and Sundays that they get together and enjoy watching the beautiful game on their plasma screens. But, last week was different for these groups of football fans, as they could not watch the beautiful game. They will have to cope with absence of live football footage for the coming two weeks or so as the Champions League 2011 is scheduled to conclude only on October 9, 2011. So football fans across the country must have some arrangements ready for the future matches. The best bet would be watching it online, provided the internet speed is good.
Kipgen Mangboi from Manipur, who has been following football from a very small age, was angry when he switched on to ESPN to watch football, only to realize that the channel was broadcasting cricket. In an angry voice, Kipgen says, “why are two channels showing the same T20 game?” The T20 game was shown in both ESPN and Star cricket. He was so frustrated, as he could not watch EPL, so he even thought of writing to ESPN, but he gave up the idea. He added, “For a cricket match score, you can go and ask any paan wala, but what about the football score, it is not so easy”. The only option that is left for the football fans of the country is to log on to the internet and Google for live scores. It has to be remembered that not everyone has internet service at their disposal.
As a result of a "semi-football blackout', football fans posted numerous comments on social networking sites asking questions such as, ‘why is ESPN showing cricket, when they are the official broadcasters of the EPL?’ Another football fan Philip, who has been born and brought up in Delhi went to the extent of commenting on the Facebook page of espnstar.com, “In India why did you guys not show the live telecast of the other matches except for Stoke Vs Manchester United and Man City vs Everton? Is the copycat cricket glitter more important for you, who can’t you even come up with a name for their own tournament and copy it from the prestigious UEFA Champions league”. Fans like Philip always make sure that their voices are heard far and wide. He openly states that he hates cricket. No wonder, with unwarranted situation like these, football fans will always look down upon cricket. But, how much will this turn of events matter to cricket fans, which outnumber football fans in India?
Almost 90-95 per cent of the Indian population are cricket fans and the rest of the country may follow other sports such as Football, Hockey, and Lawn tennis. But, Football is said to be growing in many parts of the country, which is sure to increase the number of fans present in India. North eastern states of India, along with Kolkata, and Kerala have a large number of football fans. The numbers are increasing gradually. But, it would never be able to surpass the number of cricket fans - that's for sure - at least, not in the near future.
Cricket brings in so much of revenue to broadcasters, so it is understandable that ESPN shows cricket, and not football, which in India, can't generate the kind of revenue that cricket does. Parag Ekka, who is both an ardent cricket and a football fan, comes up with a balanced view and says, “It is no surprise, that cricket is being aired in ESPN. After all it is India, where cricket is religion. We are not in Brazil.” If we bring into the TRP factor here, cricket would win all hands down, as there is a very small section of Indian populace who follow football regularly.
Some football fans across the nation cannot even think of going a weekend going by without watching EPL matches. One such fan from Darjeeling, Nalanda Moktan, realizing he did not have any alternative, decided to log on to the internet and read the text commentary on various websites. The feeling of watching the game live is always better than scrolling over the internet for text commentary or watching it online, which is very irritating as it buffers, and following live-action depends on the speed of the internet. “In spite of reading live text commentary, I will make sure that I watch the highlights of the game, which is a visual treat.”
One hopes that sports channels in India realize that football fans of India have to feel satisfied with whatever little air time that is given to football, which is not exactly the most smartest situation if sponsors and broadcasters are trying to build momentum for the growth of football in a country that has lakhs of people who want to kick a footbal than hit a cricket ball given half a chance.
About The Author
Ashim is a citizen journalist and a sports enthusiast. He loves to delve deep inside the background of every sporting event and analyse the happenings around the arena
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