Fifa World Cup 2010

Fifa World Cup 2010

MUMBAI: With the Fifa World Cup 2010 kicking off on Friday, soccer mania has gripped the city. The month-long tournament which will see some of the world's best teams vie for the football's most prestigious cup, die-hard fans of the game are going all out to ensure that they don't miss out on the sporting extravaganza. Football fever has gripped everyone in the city—be it students who do not mind bunking school for a few days or the working lot who are altering their schedules to catch up on all the action.

Says Vivek Vig, a businessman and a Portugal loyalist, "I will watch all the matches on the TV in my office. As many matches go well into the night, my daily schedule is bound to take a beating. But I will stay up and watch each and every match."

Benhur Jaghan, who works with Dolce Bank, is thankful that his work schedule is flexible. "I will leave for home early, especially on days when Spain would be playing."

Businessman Mehmood Momin, a Brazil supporter, has tweaked his schedule to balance work with passion. "For the next one month, I will wind up work early and rush home. All the important appointments will be lined up according to the matches," he says. "My have planned everything to the last detail and will watch the finals with my brothers in a pub. I am really excited."

Says Rupesh Parab, a fervent Argentina fan, "It is a tournament that takes place once every four years. I will not schedule any meeting after 7 pm. On days when my favourite teams take to the field, I will sneak out early from office."

The metropolis' student community is no exception and has jumped onto the soccer bandwagon with full gusto. Aneesh Kirloskar, a student at KJ Somaiya Institute of Engineering and Information Technology, says, "Football is my passion. Though I have my exams, I will make sure that I study before and after the matches. I am going to stay up late and watch each and every game."

Says Madhur Chari, a student of Terna College of Engineering and a loyal England supporter, "I will try my best to plan my day in keeping with the match schedule. For the next 31 days, Would be hitting the gym early so that I don't have to miss any game in the evening."

Abhinav Lodha, a student of HR College in Churchgate, says he doesn't mind missing a few morning classes. "It's time to say goodbye to all family functions and social outings. If there are guests at my place, I would go to my friends' houses and watch the matches. It's only going to be football from now," he quips.

Enthusiastic school teenagers are not behind. Saurabh Tamhankar, who is in Std X at OLPS school in Chembur, says, "I am supporting Portugal. Though I have classes, I will watch all the highlights. I may have to bunk a few classes and give up on my sleep, but I will not miss any of the important matches that will take place later this month."