New Delhi, June 27 (IANS) It’s beer and wurst on the house for all guests at the German embassy here as Germany play England at the FIFA 2010. The mood is likewise festive at other embassies and their cultural centres in the Indian capital as they try to recreate the passion the most spectacular football tournament in the world kindles in them back home.
Before defending champions Italy were knocked out, the Italian cultural centre had their cafeteria open till late in the night with three Italian channels broadcasting the matches live. Nearly 50-60 Italians in the capital gathered to watch the matches and cheer their team.
‘We are very emotional about the FIFA cup, It is our national sport. For us it is not just a sport it is much more. But this time we are not optimistic. Most of our good players have retired now,’ Antonia Grande, deputy director of the cultural centre, told IANS almost prophetically just a day before the team was knocked out.
But the Chileans here are a hopeful lot. For them it is not about winning the match but having fun.
‘World Cup is an opportunity not to miss. We have a social hall in our embassy. We try to get together with friends and embassy staff to watch our matches. It is all about fun and not about winning or losing,’ Chilean embassy’s commercial advisor Supriyo Bose said.
Chile have so far played three matches, won two – against Honduras and Switzerland, and lost one to Spain.
‘We celebrate with barbecues and hotdogs. Last time I was in Chile. It is big there, for us every match is like India playing Pakistan in cricket,’ he added.
The Dutch diplomats are thankful that Indians too are football lovers and glad that Indian channels ESPN and Star Sports are broadcasting the matches.
‘All the matches are being shown on Indian channels ESPN and Star Sports, which is great. Indians too love football, that’s is good for us. We watch the matches together with other embassy diplomats as well as some Indian friends. Like the match our team played against Japan, we watched with the Japanese diplomats here. It is a great experience,’ head of the political section in the Netherlands embassy Alex Ooster told IANS.
Netherlands have won all the three matches played against Denmark, Japan and Cameroon.
‘We call on other Dutch employees in Delhi and watch on the big screen here at our embassy. As far as I am concerned or the diplomats, we are away from home mostly so we don’t complain or miss being away at the time of FIFA.
‘In Holland too it (atmosphere) is more or less the same… as long as you are dressed in orange,’ Ooster added.
The German’s have taken the football fever to another level with the embassy screening the match between Germany and England July 27 (Sunday) live in the embassy premises and calling on Germans, other expatriates and Indians to cheer. The invitation promises beer and snack on the house for all guests.
(Lakshmi Krishnakumar can be contacted at lakshmi.k@ians.in)
