FIFA World Cup 2022 | Inside a football-crazy Tamil Nadu village

Football fans watch on the screen installed in a field during the Qatar 2022 World Cup quarter-final football match at Thoothoor village in Kanyakumari district on December 10, 2022.

Football fans watch on the screen installed in a field during the Qatar 2022 World Cup quarter-final football match at Thoothoor village in Kanyakumari district on December 10, 2022.
| Photo Credit: B. Jothi Ramalingam

As night falls in Thoothoor and its seven adjacent villages, screens turn on against the sound of splashing waves. 

Young men adorning jerseys of popular English and Spanish Premier League teams hold tightly onto Portugal flags, sound loud horns and cheer as the person in-charge of the projector fidgets with the Jiocinema application. 

There are sounds of football chants, many tiny spats between the viewers placing bets, and sudden eruptions of Cristiano Ronaldo’s ‘Siu’ celebration. Most members of the villages – young men, old women, grandfathers – are up to watch the FIFA World Cup 2022 quarter final match between Portugal and Morocco at 8.30 pm on Saturday. Every time Ronaldo gains possession of the ball, there is palpable tension and loud sighs. “If Ronaldo doesn’t win, I will be really upset,” remarks a passerby. 

Watching a world cup match in this scenic coastal stretch comprising Thoothoor, Erayumanthurai, Poothurai, Chinnathurai, Eraviputhenthurai (EP Thurai), Vallavilai, Marthandanthurai, and Neerodi villages is a spectacle. Each village has a minimum of two screens and a dedicated gathering. 

While cities might have their sports bars and States like Kerala, Goa, and West Bengal may have had their already established football fervour, Thoothoor and its adjacent hamlets, about 40 kilometres from the Southernmost tip of India, are no less enthusiastic about the sport. 

There are seven football clubs in this nine-kilometre stretch where the villages are located. For years now, a consistent and friendly rivalry exists between the clubs, all vying for top spots at popular tournaments that occur around Christmas and Easter each year. There are also unsaid competitions regarding decor. ‘Who has more flags’, ‘Whose cardboard cut-outs of Messi and Neymar are higher’, ‘Who cheers loudest’ — all determine the answer to ‘Who are the real football fans?’. 

This rivalry which has stoked efforts to best each other at the game, has ended up contributing football champions to India and Tamil Nadu. Michael Soosairaj who plays for the Indian national team and the Indian Super League club Odisha is from EP Thurai. Footballers Reagan Albarnas and S Shinu who have all been part of the Tamil Nadu Santosh Trophy team are from Thoothoor. A Jocksan Dhas who plays for Chenniyin FC is from Vallavilai. They are stars in their own regard, having villagers who intently follow their careers, provide advice and pray for their success during mass every Sunday in their churches. 

A large cut out of Brazilian footballer Neymar at Thoothoor.

A large cut out of Brazilian footballer Neymar at Thoothoor.
| Photo Credit:
B. Jothi Ramalingam

“Our day revolves around fishing in the morning, a good meal at noon, cards in the evening, a drink in the night and football after — both watching and playing. The World Cup signifies a momentous occasion. Everyone comes together to celebrate football, a sport that is already in our blood. Of course there is going to be celebration and commotion on the streets. What else can you expect,” asks J Greegio Shery, a former footballer at St Judes Club in Chinnathurai and a member of its executive committee.

Pre-game conversations

Before the match, Y Timothy (75) and V Romans (70), who were part of the first sports club formed in Thoothoor — the Kennedy Rural Youth Club (KRYC) speak about how they are miffed about the football of today. “It feels like the players of today do not know what it is like to stand and play the game for the full 90 minutes,” says Timothy. 

Despite the fact that he is upset about how the game is played, he admires the dedication that the youth of the village — both the mens’ and womens’ team — are putting into the sport. He also admits that his son has installed all the necessary applications for watching the Portugal quarter final at home. “I can’t sit down on the ground anymore, you see,” he says.

Football fans watch on the screen installed in a field during the Qatar 2022 World Cup quarter-final football match at Thoothoor village in Kanyakumari district on December 10, 2022.

Football fans watch on the screen installed in a field during the Qatar 2022 World Cup quarter-final football match at Thoothoor village in Kanyakumari district on December 10, 2022.
| Photo Credit:
B. Jothi Ramalingam

This dedication is apparent. John Britto, president of Nethaji Library and Sports Club Thoothoor village, says that their club trains for hours to ensure that quality footballers can make it to the Tamil Nadu and Indian team. Young footballers from the Club including Sanju (20), Shan (20) and Sanjay (21) who speak right before playing a league match against AVM Neerodi say that they are clear about their goals. They do not wish to be local stars anymore. They are dedicated to playing football professionally and seeing their dreams of playing for India come true. “All this effort is for nothing else,” they say.

One day, they add that they hope to see themselves on the same screens in their villages.  

The dedication to the sport doesn’t stop with the hopefuls. John Britto says that about 15 minutes into the first half, a friend who owns a boat called his crew, a set of deep sea fishermen from Thoothoor who are now away on their expedition somewhere near the Philippines. “My friend wanted to know about weather updates as there were cyclone warnings and talks of a deep depression. Our fishermen asked for the match’s score instead,” he said. 

Post-match dip

Thoothoor was predictably upset after watching Portugal lose to Morocco as the country they supported not only lost but one of their idols, Ronaldo, wept. The sadness only lasted the night though. The next morning, after the Sunday mass, boys were back on the beach, kicking a football. 

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