Colleges go football-istic

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A carnival-like atmosphere has gripped top Delhi universities. While some students in colleges are planning interesting graffiti and posters featuring their favourite footballers and catching live action at the campus’ open-air auditoriums, others are planning to be at their favourite lounges, to watch online football competitions.
Students in JNU are in a different league and are following the university’s tradition of watching the World Cup on a giant screen set up in an open-air auditorium. Meireba, a Phd student, JNU and a Spain loyalist says, “We never had this kind of set-up for IPL or any other cricket World Cup. But football in JNU is considered to be a ritual, so the students’ union is planning to organise screenings in the auditorium for football fanatics after the quarter-finals. Students might also plan interesting wall graffiti, posters and sketches, but only after the quarter-finals.”
The Jamia Millia Islamia campus might look a little dull as compared to JNU, but the excitement among students is in no way any lesser. Nishant Shukla, a football freak and an England loyalist has formed a soccer club comprising ex and present students of Jamia, which gathers at the Pebble Street Lounge, New Friends Colony. “There is lot of discussion happening around the World Cup. Besides, the passion for it runs so deep that everyone feels a need to discuss their obsession with enthusiasm and spirit,” he adds.
With Delhi University shut for vacations, college students are found hooked online and are competing to be a part of the international football team. And, if you are wondering, how? Daman Datta, a DU aspirant reveals, “It is a fun and easy way to get into the Nike Football Academy, in UK. All you have to do is create your fan page and promote yourself on the website called The Change: Write the Future (www.nikefootball/write-the-future.com [2]). Once you do that, you can connect your fan page with Facebook and wait for people to accept what you like. And this way, the person who will score maximum number of ‘likes’ on the fan page will be shortlisted for training in the academy. I created my fan page just two days back and have around 1,381 fans. Many of friends too have a fan page, which makes it a fun competition. ”
Seconds Pranav Sharma, a first year DU student and an Argentina loyalist, who is also part of this competition. He says, “I want to be a central midfielder in Argentina, so this seems to be an easy way to achieve my goal.”
And besides all the fans going ga ga over the FIFA World Cup, there are a few colleges and school students who are gearing up for the city’s Youth Soccer League to be held from June 30 to July 4, which will have 24 teams participating. Arpit Gupta, a, second year student of Manav Rachna College of Engineering, says, “We have teams from all DU Colleges and also some schools. Even my team called ‘Trial Gappa’, will be part of this. The winners will be given a prize money of Rs 30,000 along with trophies and medals.”