Temjen Anichar
DIMAPUR, JUL 12
THE football jamboree – in the guise of World Cup 2014, that just ended at the spiritual home of the game, Brazil – has, in more ways than one, injected some whole new patterns to our otherwise monotonous (and sometimes downright ugly) way of life here.
The fabled allure of sports, and in particular of football, has certainly not failed to weave its charm among the disciples of the world’s most popular game in this corner of the world. The fact that we don’t even represent the tiniest of speck in the wider narrative of the football universe, in this instance, is of no consequence at all.
It is enough that, at least for now, all of Nagaland could revel in a shared joy. Football in its current dispensation has come to represent a succor – as a joyous sporting balm – to a collective psyche that has been, more often than not, at the receiving end of some brutal bruising, in every sense of the word.
As humorous as it may sound, even the word on the streets is littered with jests about a sporting miracle, at least out here in Dimapur. And the target for this one is what else … the power department! The power department’s newly found ability to supply uninterrupted electricity for the duration of this World Cup is in line with the twists and turns of the 2014 World Cup holding everyone at the edge of their seats.
In Mokokchung town, some football fans have went up to the extend of writing a letter of gratitude to the Executive Engineer of power department, Mokokchung division, for ensuring uninterrupted power supply during the World Cup matches.
The most interesting offshoot of the World Cup here, however, could be that of the widespread betting that took place among the followers of the game. This in itself was a representation of the “succor”, albeit a shade less bright .
A random survey conducted by Eastern Mirror indicated that majority of the fans in Nagaland had put their stakes in favor of the über-state-of-the-art, and wonderfully gifted, generation of footballers from Germany.
Some German fans in Dimapur have staked their bets at Rs 10000, for the final match. Even though there is no solid evidence of shady bookmakers indulging in organized betting activities, there have been enough inputs to suggest that unregulated betting activities were rife across the state.
In one of the villages in Dimapur, fans have screened the matches inside the village’s community hall, right from the opening match with the requisition that all the fans present must bet for/against one of the teams involved. For the neutrals, they invented a system through which they were made to bet for/against a team by way of lottery.
The rate, which was initially placed at Rs 500, had reached its outer limit of Rs 10000 during the final game. Similar betting activities – within the circle of friends, colleagues, neighbors and even families – were widely reported.
The capital town of Kohima was an upgrade, as far as the betting scenario was concerned, when compared to the scene in Dimapur. For starters, the rates in Kohima were much higher (at least according to the information availed by Eastern Mirror).
Bets for the group matches started at Rs 2000 per game, with reports suggesting that some had raised their stakes to Rs 50000 for the final match.
Separate stakes were placed for the number of goals to be scored in the final match. Each goal (s) was worth Rs 500, till the filing of this report.
Such extravagance could be explained by the fact that most betting activities were said to have taken among employees of various government departments. One such employee told Eastern Mirror in his office, right from the Parliamentary Secretary down to the LDA, they have placed their bets for the finals.
In another department, the employees have staked their next salary against their favored team. Another group of fans, numbering 46 in total, had invented a system of betting from Day One itself.
All forty-six of them were allowed to select two teams and place their bets in favor of those two countries. The upper-limit was placed at Rs 2000 for each team, with the condition that they could raise it higher in case of their team reaching the finals.
State-sponsored cash were not the only thing at stake, however. For instance, some Class-I contractors in Kohima were said to have staked their excavators and other high-grade machineries.
And as is the case with all things in Nagaland, even football is not complete without pork. Thus, a group of teachers from one of the villages in Mokokchung has decided to slaughter one pig for the finals.
The pork would be shared equally just that those in support of the losing finalist would pay for the slaughtered pig !
And could our girls be far behind? In one of the girls’ hostel in Dimapur, the inmates have staked their daily serving of pork at dinner, against their favored team. All for the love of the beautiful game.
