INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Since I was fifteen years of age, I have been wanting to go to the football World Cup
I have always kind of kept in touch with the World Cup events
The last time, when it was in Brazil, I even had the tickets but I could not make it because I think the finals or semi-finals were on the
This time, the necessary arrangements were made and I took a few days off to see the biggest sporting extravaganza on the planet - the FIFA
World Cup. In many ways, this World Cup was one of the most unpredictable in recent times and delivered some unexpected results
No one probably expected England and Croatia to make it to the semifinals, but there they were
The exit of the Latin American teams, including some of the teams I would have liked to see in play, left the World Cup a Europe-dominated
All the teams of big repute like Brazil, Argentina, Portugal, Spain and Germany were all gone. Argentina's Marcos Rojo celebrates their
goal with Lionel Messi (Reuters)Two of the most celebrated players, Ronaldo and Messi, were eliminated from this great tournament on the
same stage, leaving their fans around the world disappointed, while Neymar's performance and hairstyle both failed - but he could be
nominated for an Oscar! This is something that everyone has to understand - you don't win anything on your reputation
To win a game, to make anything right now, it is about how incisively we act
Definitely, the French have shown a certain speed, skill, and strategy which others have not been able to match. In Russia for the
football World CupWe have to congratulate Russia as a nation
I think it was a phenomenal success for Russia to be able to pull off these games the way they did
The level of efficiency and organization that they showed was truly fantastic
It was great to see the generosity and liveliness with which they welcomed the guests and did everything
The way they trained thousands of volunteers who were across the city guiding guests from other countries with a big smile on their faces -
it was very beautifully organized
Everything was in absolute control and the more effervescent or violent fans were also kept in check, so that everyone could enjoy the
games. On the whole, the atmosphere of the World Cup was electric, to say the least
And when a country like Iceland can come to the World Cup, I think India has to make it
If not to the next one in Qatar, we should at least make it for the 2026 event in United States because they are also expanding the number
of teams from thirty-two to forty-eight.Neymar during Round of 16 - Brazil vs Mexico (Reuters)I request the Government and the Sports
Authority to work on this
Rather than trying to develop talent across the country, even focusing on one city where our population is well over a few million, with a
good coach and exposure, we could build a team which will go to the World Cup
Winning a World Cup may still be far away but at least we can enter the forty-eight nation group to play the league matches
I think it is definitely doable for India because we are such a youthful nation. The reason why the entire world sits up and watches World
Cup football is the intensity of involvement with which people are playing a game
Just kicking a ball around, but with such skill and involvement that it is like the last thing they are going to do in their life
It is not the football, but the intensity of involvement which has brought almost half the planet together for this FIFA World Cup
Swami Vivekananda rightly said that in kicking a ball, one is much closer to the Divine than in prayer
A ball can indeed change the world!(Ranked amongst the 50 most influential people in India, Sadhguru is a yogi, mystic, visionary and
Sadhguru has been conferred the "Padma Vibhushan" by the Government of India in 2017, the highest annual civilian award, accorded for
exceptional and distinguished service.)Disclaimer: The opinions expressed within this article are the personal opinions of the author
The facts and opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of TheIndianSubcontinent and TheIndianSubcontinent does not assume
any responsibility or liability for the same.
