THE most exciting sporting event World Cup 2018 is going to start on 14th of this month and I am eagerly waiting to watch it on TV. With my full admiration to the Frenchman Jules Rimet for initiating the World Cup Soccer Tournament which was first time held in Uruguay in 1930 and won by the host country, the number of contestants was only 13 and that too invitees. In the absence of almost 2 years of grueling qualifying matches to reach to the ultimate final phase as it is done now, the first participants were very lucky to get a spot in the final in Uruguay. However India was unfortunate to decline to participate in the 1950 World Cup held in Brasil when 3 other Asian teams withdrew, because Indian players were known to play barefooted which was not accepted by the organizers.
From 13 teams in the inaugural tournament to 16 to 24 and now 32 teams and still thinking to go up to 40 in the near future, FIFA is doing a wonderful job in organising this tournament every four year. No other sporting event unites the people in this world as this tournament does because soccer is the only language the entire world population understands because of this it is said that “where Esperanto failed, the game of soccer succeeded” in bringing the world together under one medium.
When the Frenchman Just Fontaine in 1958 scored the highest number of goals in a single tournament of 16 teams this record still remained intact till today inspite of increasing the number of teams to 32. Came Pele, Eusebio, Maradona, Zico, Paulo Rossi, Lato, Gerd Muller and so many others but none could break that record created by the great Fontaine, inspite of having so many advantages. This indicates that the soccer is become now defensive where too much stress is put on defense to prevent getting goals and more goals. Will anyone break the record in this World Cup, created by Just Fontaine in 1958?
When Pele first time played in this tournament, he was aged only 17 ½ in 1958 but in 1982 World Cup held in Spain his record was broken by the Northern Islander Whiteside when he played for his national team as the youngest kid. Who will break this record in Russia?
In 1966 World Cup held in England, the captain of Argentina, Rattin acted like a wild animal when he went to hit his own player while playing against England and in 2006 Frenchman Zidane head butted Italian Matzerrati like a wild Rhino. Will such nasty incidents occur again in Russia? I hope not.
No other sporting event bringS the world to stand still as this sporting event does. Even world summits and conferences are delayed or postponed to allow the participants to watch this tournament. Popes and Cardinals, Kings and Monarchs, Sheiks and commoners are all show interest in this sports.
Let this sports create love and peace in this world.
A.Veronica Fernandes.