Watching FIFA World Cup: A Nepali Experience (Personalized)
By Dinesh Wagle
I call that the World Cup Fever. The temperature was well above 104 degrees in fahrenheit and I was in terribly bad condition. I couldn’t sleep for that night and my friends in the hostel of Dorjee High School, Boudha, were in the middle of something very important: the final match between [West] Germany and Argentina. That was in 1990 and the two countries representing two continents were fighting for the FIFA World Cup in the form of a ball: Football. That was my first world cup (in TV). I came from my room, friends brought me, to the TV room of the hostel with a pillow and lied on the carpet and fixed my eyes on the box. The game was fantastic, I felt like the real fever was decreasing as the Cup fever was increasing within me.
Fortunately, I am healthy today and the Cup fever has risen yet again. Just saw the opening ceremony of the 18th FIFA World Cup live on ESPN and I am already feeling excited about the next few weeks to come. I will be among those estimated audience of 5 billion, according to the BBC, who will be following the 62 matches to be played in 12 venues around Germany in the next four weeks.
I am tired of always talking about the equations of politics, being anxious about the success of the prospects of peace talks, thinking about the gloomy economic situation of the country, wandering around the polluted city of Kathmandu looking for stories for the next day’s issue of the paper. This, I think, is the perfect opportunity for me to forget all those difficulties and lost in the glories of the game.
Hail to the Kings
By Mac Margolis in Newsweek InternationalJune 12, 2006 issue – For the record, anyone can win the 2006 world Cup. Whether it’s three-time champion Italy or the debuting Angolans, 10th-ranked England or No. 61 Togo, once the ball begins to roll in Germany on June 9, theoretically each of the 32 national teams vying for glory in the globe’s most popular sport has a fighting chance. OK, now forget all the sportingly correct disclaimers. Sure, football’s premier spectacle has seen its share of upsets over the decades. But since 1958, when a precocious South American team, debuting a 17-year-old named Pelé, blind sided Cup host Sweden5-2 in the finals, the one iron rule in football is that Brazil is the team to beat. And to judge by the pregame hoopla and headlines, by the evening of July 9, when the final whistle blows in Berlin, even hidebound European fans will be learning to samba yet again. (Go to this page for the complete article)
(In between, I haven’t missed the games. I was in another hostel of Janapremee English Secondary School in 1994 and I still remember watching games in Ujjwal’s house along with friend Suraj (taking leave from hostel in almost every evening). Oh…yea, because the game was late in the night, we actually missed some goals and had to rely on the morning bulletin to give talks about the game to other friends. In 1998 it was a team of Suraj, Achyut and I watching the game together. I was writing about the games for a weekly newspaper as well. And about the 2002 games, I feel that was just yesterday that I was celebrating the victory of my all time favorite team Brazil!)
They say music is the medicine of love but I think the same and the game are perfect healer of tense minds. But then that doesn’t mean I will be forgetting to track all the developments that we are experiencing in the recent times. In Italy, I have heard, politicians use sports to keep the public away from the burning political issues by providing good games on TVs and keeping the people busy in front the idiot box. I saw a documentary recently in which filmmakers brilliantly show how dictators exploit the popularity of football to fulfill their political ambitions and launch regressive crackdown against political opponents.
I know the situation in Nepal is quite different and we are not much addicted into game so that we forget the burning issues that we are facing in the society. We don’t have such a luxury and that may be because politics itself has become a big game and we are habituated in watching the matches. Our own position in the game of Football is also not so exciting and that also has something to do with the political situation in the country.
As UN Secretary General writes in a syndicated article that is also published in the Op-Ed of the Kathmandu Post, I believe that, “as the pinnacle of the only truly global game, played in every race and religion, it is one of the few phenomena as universal as the United Nations…. the World Cup is an event in which we actually see goals being reached. I am not talking only about the goals a country scores; I also mean the most important goal of all– being there, part of the family of nations and peoples, celebrating our common humanity.”
Even if many of us can’t be there, TV brings us the game in our rooms. Let’s enjoy the fever, the Cup Fever!
When you are not watching the games…
1. How we envy World Cup by Kofi A Annan (in the Kathmandu Post)
2. Girls have more fun by Pratichya Dulal (in the Kathmandu Post)
3. Hail to the Kings (cover story in Newsweek)
4. World Cup…and Guff (a blogxperience by our own Zade 15 in her blog)
United We Blog 
Comments
11 responses to “World Cup Football: May The Best Win (Angola Included)”
Why don’t you write on Susta, Kalapani and other issues dear wagle? If you are tired of Nepali politics better catch National Issues.
After our greatest beggers are back from begging from India only thing to do for his citizens is to bury our head in sand and sing about world cup and sing glory of other countries in world cup which are successful economicaly and politicaly.
Giriga is hailed as gratest south asian leader by India!!! of course they will do that . They must be proud of our arse licking begger form nepal which other southasian leaders won’t do.!!
Living in a hand-outs is an acquired habit of Nepali- Girija proved it. Now, all will be directed from the northern capital and Kathmandu will be just a rubber stamp. So much for nationalism and pride. This is what it was all about- rush to act subservient- 19 days of ruckus. Prove me wrong, anybody?
The problem with india is that they will continue to help even if we don’t ask.
Because they are our close friends, may be a Bhai-Bhai as a famous Indian newspaper…….oops sorry …Nepali newspaper write recently.
They will continue to open schools, build roads support individuals or a group in the Nepali Terai only.
Terai………why …….Terai?
Goood Question?
Coz Rest doesnot belong to the Indian prerogative.
World Cup definitely a fresh break for all the people who loves football. WE were talking about girija,makune,india,maoists etc since past more than 10 years and we will be talking about it coz they are like dogs and its tail won’t be straight no matter how much we give them suggestion.
So for this whole month i am just thinking about WORLD CUP FOOTBALL and enjoying it.
La Argentina el grande
Hurehhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Argentina won the match!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Nepal had some good players over the years. I remember Ganesh Thapa who played in Dhaka (bangladesh) league for many years. Of the modern players, Hari katka is a talented player too. What I like of nepali team is the speed of its players.
As for World Cup, I am happy that World Cup 2006 is helping the advertisemnt industry in Nepal after business suffered a lot in the recent time.
WORLD CUP FEVER
A leter to my Wife:
Dear Wife,
1. From 9 June to 9 July 2006, you should read the sports section of the newspaper so that you are aware of what is going on regarding the World Cup, and that way you will be able to join in the conversations. If you fail to do this, then you will be looked at in a bad way, or you will be totally ignored. DO NOT complain about not receiving any attention.
2. During the World Cup, the television is mine, at all times, without any exceptions. If you even take a glimpse of the remote control, you will lose it (your eye).
3. If you have to pass by in front of the TV during a game, I don’t mind, as long as you do it crawling on the floor and without istracting me.
4. During the games I will be blind, deaf and mute,unless I require a refill of my drink or something to eat. You are out of your mind if you expect me to listen to you, open the door, answer the telephone.
5. It would be a good idea for you to keep at least 2 six packs in the fridge at all times, as well as plenty of things to nibble on, and please do not make any funny faces to my friends when they come over to watch the games. In return, you will be allowed to use the TV in the afternoon, unless they replay a good game that I missed.
6. Please, please, please!! If you see me upset
because one of my teams is losing, DO NOT say “get over it, its only a game”, or “don’t worry, they’ll win next time”. If you say these things, you will only make me angrier and I will love you less. Remember, you will never ever know more about football than me and your so called “words of encouragement” will only
lead to a divorce.
7. You are welcome to sit with me to watch one game and you can talk to me during halftime but only when the commercials are on, and only if the halftime score is pleasing me. In addition, please note I am saying “one” game; hence do not use the World Cup as a nice cheesy excuse to “spend time together”.
8. The replays of the goals are very important. I don’t care if I have seen them or I haven’t seen them, I want to see them again. Many times.
9. Tell your friends NOT to have any babies, or any other child related parties or gatherings that requires my attendance because:
a) I will not go,
b) I will not go, and
c) I will not go.
10. But, if a friend of mine invites us to his house on a Sunday to watch a game, we will be there in a flash.
11. The daily World Cup highlights show on TV every night is just as important as the games themselves. Do not even think about saying “but you have already seen this…why don’t you change the channel to something we can all watch?” because, the reply will be, “Refer
to Rule #2 of this list”.
12. And finally, please save your expressions such as “Thank God the World Cup is only every 4 years”. I am immune to these words, because after this comes the Champions League, Italian League, Spanish League, Premier League, FA Cup, etc.
Thank you for your cooperation.
Your Loving Husband
well well ,
world cup is on and i dont wanna hear any thing other than argentina. so say
1) Argentina take the cup home
2) Kick brazil’s a*s
This is eaxactly what I was talking about on my blog. I appreciate the work you put into this and I look forward to reading more.