FIFA World Cup 2010: Eats, Drinks, Waka Waka, and Paul

The month-long thrilling and gripping football saga has come to an end finally with style. Spain who came to the tournament as the favourite of bookies won the title for the first time in its history. Their skills, quick and magnificent passing, and unity among players proved indomitable to other teams. As predicted, this South Africa FIFA World Cup exceeded all. It is a blockbuster in every sphere: fun, crowd, action, vuvuzela, dance, drinks, warm hospitality, and inspiration—those who broke their hip while dancing Shakira’s “Waka Waka” are inspired by K’naan’s “Waving Flags” to dance once more. It got bigger and stronger than the joint effort of Japan-South Korea in 2002 and Germany 2006. Imagine how big the event could get if the two largest populations of the world India and China participated the game—I mean if they could qualify to participate. This World Cup made history for many reasons: the entry of new champion, hosted for the first time by non-developed nations, vuvuzela, and Paul. The gap between strong teams and weak teams has reduced. Significantly, the strong teams made an early exit, throwing the red carpet for novices and weak teams—marking the event of making sacrifice for the first time in the history of sporting event. Kudos to FIFA and mighty teams, particularly Italy and France (the defending champion and runner-up) and Brazil and Argentina, for taking this bold initiative. This World Cup also marked for the first time in its history that the coach rocked the tournament more than his players. Blame Maradona for always being famous both in short and long pants, off and on field. For Italy, it is a very emotional moment because not only its national team made a historic sacrifice but also the prime minister sacrificed his “playboy” tag. In the parliamentary session, the famous Silvio Berlusconi declared, “I am no longer a playboy, I am play old now.” Hundreds and thousands burst into inconsolable tears. A young reporter broke down, and she was rushed to ICU. Why did you do this, Mr Berlusconi? You have been hailed as the epitome of S.T. Coleridge’s famous lines:
“Life is but Thought: so think I willThat Youth and I are housemates still.”
Now, who will we adore as our youth icon?

Heroes and Zeroes
Expectations were so high on star players like Ronaldo, Kaka, Rooney, and Messi. They are the costliest players on earth, and every team competed to buy them before the World Cup. High stakes are riding to them, and the whole world is betting for them.

“THEY CAME, THEY SAW, AND THEY ARE CONQUERED”

Just like every World Cup, the FIFA 2010 World Cup also produces new heroes, but it was never expected that all the existing heroes will return zeroes. It was the not-so-known players who rocked the tournament. It was a delight to see emerging heroes David Villa, Thomas Muller, Arjen Robben, Wesley Sneijder, Asamoah Gyan, and Diego Forlan, who eclipsed these big stars, in the field.

Complaints and Criticisms
No sooner than the beautiful event kicked off, the ugly controversies erupted—poor and dreadful Jabulani ball, noise of vuvuzela-blowing, wrong referee decisions. Coaches, players, goalkeepers, everyone was in complaining mood: The direction of the ball cannot be predicted; it is like someone guides the ball; its trajectory is unpredictable; it moves so much and makes it difficult to control; it is like the one you bought from the supermarket; and the list goes on. I agree the new ball might have got some problem, but guys you are not the only player or team who experience this. Each player, each goal keeper, each team plays the same ball. Also, FIFA gave this new ball to each team for practice months prior the World Cup. But, by the time the tournament entered quarter finals stage, the complaints for vuvuzela blowing and Jabulani ball have subsided. Because, in the battlefield the one who complains dies first. It is time to defeat the enemies and move on. Beyond belief, the popularity of vuvuzela had shot up. Brazil has already booked five vuvuzela manufactures for the next World Cup they are hosting. Even, Indian prime minister has asked his South African counterpart to supply vuvuzelas for Commonwealth Games. But there is a condition: vuvuzelas do not make sound if the crowd in the stadium in fewer than 10,000. So, the Indian Government is having a second thought. But the South African Government says there is no any conditions apply for supplying vuvuzelas for IPL.

The Age of Technology
Debate erupted why FIFA does not use technology to ward off wrong referee decisions. Every sport, be it cricket or tennis, uses technology. Pressure mounted on FIFA officials, yet they are still reluctant to adopt technology. I think there is a valid reason behind this. The truth is at the time of framing the Sports Constitution, football was given the rights to live only for 90 minutes, unlike unlimited lifetime given to tennis and cricket. Also, football fans don’t have whole day to watch the match as do the cricket fans. Football can’t afford the luxury to wait 5 minutes for the referee decision. Guys! It is not cricket that players can slower or faster the game at their will. Soccer means exact 90-min thriller from beginning to end, and there is not even 10 seconds to relax because it takes less than 10 seconds for the ball to reach from one goalkeeper to the other goalkeeper. That is why soccer is so gripping. It is not only soccer, in today’s fast and busy life everything small and short is famous and most-demanded. That is why Tweeter is so famous. Those days of writing beautiful and flowery letters are gone. It is a world of “C U 2moro” and “4 U I die.” Send this text messages to Chomsky; he will hang himself just like Isaac Newton committed suicide after watching Rajnikant’s movies. It is not only life that is busy, so is the road. That is why more and more automobile makers have produced small cars.

Image Transformation
The success of the event has changed the way how the world watches the host nation and Africa as a whole. So far, Africa is defined by poverty, AIDs, and crime. It is very heart warming to see the event brought togetherness and unity to the nation that is so riven racially. All those critics who slammed the host country for lavishing $5 billion for the event have been silenced by vuvuzelas in the middle of the tournament. They think that spending billions of dollars in airports, public transportation systems, roads, and stadiums for the game does not make sense when the country has so much social needs and poverty. The truth is otherwise; these lack-of-long-sighted-thinking critics could not visualize the improved infrastructures will bolster growth in the long run by attracting foreign investments and surge of tourism. Now, with the World Cup in its resume, it is no wonder that South Africa has emerged as one of the best destinations to host major sporting events. To South Africa's credit, not even a single crime against outsiders who came to watch the World Cup was reported during this month-long event.

Enter the Great Paul
When the tournament entered quarter finals stage, the attention of the whole world shifted to the real hero of the tournament. Paul, the beautiful eight-legged oracle octopus residing in German aquarium, has become the sensation of the tournament after he correctly predicted the result of all seven games of Germany, as well as the finals between Spain and the Netherlands. He defeated his competitor Mani, a Singapore-based oracle parrot, who came at the tournament in the late stage and hanged him upside down on the goal post. Neither Messi nor Ronaldo got so much media coverage as Paul did. It was Paul and only Paul who made headlines of both newspapers and TV news channels when the tournament entered crucial stage. Paul remained the true patriot and national hero of Germany until he picked up Spain over Germany in the semi-final. All of a sudden, the national hero turned enemy of the state, and celebrated oracle octopus became psychic octopus. From that moment, all those Germans who sang praise choruses for Paul have been busy tweeting the recipe of octopus. Twitter is flooded with Paul. Most of them are from Germany and Argentina. Germany wants to fry Paul, Argentina wants to beat him till death, and the Netherlands wants to hang him. Now, Spain has come for rescue. The government of Spain wants to give citizenship to Paul and bring him to Spain. Now, they are seeking legal aids from the UN International Court of Justice (ICJ) to bring Paul in Spain. ICJ is not very cooperative with Spain as the Netherlands, where it is headquartered, is also pressurizing it to bring Paul there. Now, if Spain succeeds, Paul will get everything—love, protection, and fame—in the new land for the next 4 years until he picks up some other nation over Spain in the 2014 World Cup.

Paul in India
Imagine the great Paul lands in our country. Can you even imagine how much media coverage he will get? If he thinks all the media coverage he will get is temporary, then Paul, you are underestimating the power of Indian media. Since cricket tournaments are held 365 days in a year both in and outside India, and India participates all the tournament, you will always stay at the headlines of both newspapers and news channels. Apart from cricket, you can put your hand in Bollywood also. Because of the absence of good soothsayer, most big budget movies bomb at the box office. You will be a big help for big producers and directors who make ambitious projects but end up making big flops and run heavy losses. A wise lady said that if she has Paul, she will gift it to the MET Department of India to provide correct weather forecasts. I think it is a very wise idea, particularly during the monsoon season when the MET Department officials are tired of coin flipping to predict weather.

The Hero Takes Retirement
Now, it’s official that Paul will take retirement. He said this in the award function where he was facilitated the Champion trophy and the Diamond Boot of the Year for being the most sensational player of the tournament. It was a very bleak and emotional moment for billions of people who glue on television watching their favourite star. Now, Paul will go back to his previous profession—playing with his handlers and children who visit him.

Spain won the World Cup, but all the credits go to Paul. Kudos to Paul! You rocked Cup of the World.