Our Correspondent
Diphu, June 14 (EMN): The FIFA World Cup for 2018 has kicked off in Russia on June 14. In the small town of Diphu in Assam in India's Northeast, has also joined in the spirit of the world's biggest football carnival.
People on their cars, motorbikes and in private homes have decorations of flags in support of the national teams of choice. Then there are those again who have downloaded apps in their smart phones to witness live matches, besides those who have set up giant screens along Diphu's streets.
A diehard fan and supporter of the German national team, Putul Borah of Police Reserve, has taken to decorations of flags of different WC participating countries, logos, WC fixtures, and names of the countries. He even has named an area in his compound ‘Russia Stadium.’ He said to have seen his first World Cup in 1986 and the team of his choice then was Germany. From there on, he has not changed sides. He predicted that the final will be between Germany and Brazil. The 2014 WC champions Germany will again retain the cup, he asserted.
Another centre is the Karbi Club at Rongnihang where youths of Rongnihang and Karbi Club have arranged a setting for people to watch the games live. There is a giant screen projector. The club premises wears a festive look with flags of different competing countries.
Karbi Club's general secretary and Karbi Anglong Sports Association (KASA) football secretary, Horen Engti Kathar, said the soccer event comes every four years for which there should be no exception for one to miss the event.
Kathar hoped through sports, it will unite different people to exchange joy, laughter and goodwill. “With the WC spirit high, we hope people will come closer together and will end away the enmity, jealousy and ill feelings in us,” Kathar said.
Another fan Roton Senar is the owner of The Rider’s Choice which deals in accessories of Royal Enfield motorcycles. He said, “Many football fans have visited my shop and bought flags of their supporting countries. Frankly speaking I have brought more than 200 flags of different countries, but now particularly the flags of Argentina have gone short,” Senar said.
Despite the enthusiasm, some wards of the town may miss the inaugural ceremony due to irregular power cuts. Diphu and other parts of Karbi Anglong have been experiencing incessant rain for the past two to three days and there has been disruption of power supply. Villages such as Ronghchingri, Sankur Anglong in ward-8 of the town has no power supply for the past two days.
An employee at the complaint desk at the Power House said that the areas which have complained of power cuts have been 'look into' and power has been resumed. If there is no strong winds and heavy rain continuous power supply will be there, the employee said.
