Indian soccer lovers protest to save game from cricket

[François]

Indian soccer lovers protest to save game from cricket onslaught


Canadian Press


Monday, February 23, 2004

CALCUTTA (AP) - About 2,000 soccer fans, players and coaches stood silently in long lines in this eastern Indian city on Monday to protest government-run television's neglect of the sport in favour of cricket.

Cricket is the most popular game in South Asia and hogs the limelight in newspaper and TV coverage and in sponsorship and training money. The protesters converged on the office of the state-owned TV network, Doordarshan, unhappy at what they say is a decline in soccer in India caused by TV's preoccupation with cricket.

They silently held up placards and banners that urged authorities to be more supportive of soccer.

"Why Discriminate Against Football?" asked some posters. "Show National League Matches" and "Don't Sacrifice Football at Cricket's Altar" pleaded others.

The soccer lovers told reporters that the network should show India's upcoming pre-World Cup matches live on its sports channel. They were angry that Doordarshan did not show the pre-World Cup match that India won against Singapore last week in the western Indian state of Goa.

Instead, the station showed under-19 cricket matches.

India is ranked 139th in the world by FIFA.