 Blog Posts | The Blue Pilgrims are the OSRS goldThe Blue Pilgrims are the Indian National Football Team supporters (pictured)At the India-USA tie at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on Friday, schoolboys aged fifteen, sixteen or seventeen knew the names of every one in the under-17 home team, that the national coach had trained junior Benfica, and other such minutiae. Re-programmed 'Let's leave, boys. The game is over,' says the teacher as USA lead 2-0. There are 20 minutes still left in the match, but he wants to avoid the crowd rush after the final whistle. A collective howl of https://www.rsgoldfast.com/We're not leaving till it is over, sir,' says a student. 'This is why our country is lagging in football. We don't back our own team.' Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the FIFA U-17 World Cup match between. India and the USA in New Delhi, IndiaIn spite of the years of going to the stadium to watch India matches, one is taken aback by the new, vocal, assertive, demonstrative patriotism among the youngest of fans. The frequent and unabashed 'Bharat mata ki jai' (to put things in context, most students in this particular enclosure were from English-medium city schools), the loud singing along with the national anthem, the full-throated. India, India' chants are not familiar memories. And a mean-spirited competitiveness. When a student praises a USA player, his friend says, 'Yeh modern India hai, bhai. Praise our own team.' A definite lack of grace, as also the spirit to ruthlessly compete, defend one's self-interest and achieve. These youngsters are very differently wired. Ninthoinganba Meetei of India battles with Chris Gloster. |
