Comment: A battle-turned-football field

KARACHI:

Sports has the unique ability to ignite passion and unite people; drive away their fears for a momentary escape. 

And the football World Cup was just that getaway.

Being a Pakistani, it may not have made sense to go cover the mega event all the way in Brazil due to the absence of our national team there, so the next best place to visit was Cheel Chowk in Lyari.

Lyariites are just as passionate about football as Brazil; they also have the biggest hearts to begin with.

Before going there a few days back, I was warned of the security concerns as a bomb blast had taken place the same day.

However, once stepping into Lyari, comprising various communities, it seemed like a celebration.

According to volunteers for the “Right to Play” organisation who have been involved with community work, football is a matter of life and death in the locality.

“If people are watching a match together, it doesn’t matter if they are enemies,” stated one of the volunteers.

“They will cheer on a good pass, and they will end up talking to each other ultimately. That is the power of football for us.”

Even the big screens in each block of the area are a gift from the gangsters to the people of Lyari.

Betting scenario

One other attraction for me as a journalist was to look into the betting brackets and see whether “quick bucks” were still being made.

I was told that the scene ‘was off’ since the last World Cup, with the Rangers’ operation spoiling the party.

“There used to be a lot of money involved, till the last World Cup, but now, it’s all shut down,” said a Lyari resident.

“You see the average Lyariite does not bet on matches. In many ways, this population is religious too. In Islam, betting is prohibited. But yes, there was a time when there used to be bets on local matches, and after the match, the young players were given a lot of money.”

Another person told me that betting would usually take place over the stronger side, and the ones who supported the underdog would take away more money if their team won.

Good business during screenings

While betting is not taking place these days, local businesses of ice-candy and tea shops have certainly seen a good time.

Yousuf Chohan, who sells ice-candy (gola-ganda) in front of Gabol Park, said that he sells around 1,000 ice-candies per day. Chohan said that in many ways the World Cup is also a reason for better business, as people keep pouring in to watch the match, on a screen installed in front of him.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 11^th, 2014.

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