Opinion Off key in Brazil

Seen from India, it seems unfathomable that Brazilians aren’t making a cheerier noise about the first football World Cup they are hosting since 1950. Sentimental favourites at any World Cup, held anywhere, in any year, the host nation appears to have erupted rather violently against FIFA’s decision to transplant football’s biggest carnival in its midst.

Much of the protests and the sloganeering opposing the World Cup can be explained by the vexed dilemma of a developing country, grappling with the opportunity to host the biggest-ticket event and reeling under the burden of expectations of turning out an impeccable show. All of this needs deep pockets. In the backdrop of the global slowdown, Brazil has taken a hard hit, having won the bid to host the World Cup in the pre-recession era, in 2003. There’s also the 2016 Olympics, two years from now, and nothing save a World Cup championship victory could stall the protesting marches of the disgruntled who believe that the FIFA is shortchanging them, with the sceptics thinking even a victory on July 14 might not be quite enough. Rio might carry similar concerns to the IOC soon enough. Most recently, Vietnam pulled out of hosting the next Asian Games after having bid successfully for it earlier, after it realised that its sluggish economy could not possibly sustain the costs of constructing stadiums and the ancillary facilities needed to welcome guests into the country for the grand event. Increasingly — and more so because previous hosting cities have jacked up the opulence and the spectacle — the developing world is fighting and losing the battle of joining the list of hosts.

Advertisement

Brazil boasts of a team that could well go all the way this time. But for now, a sport that ought to bring much joy and cheer to a nation known for its samba and free-flowing beautiful football, is facing the real spectre of being scorned by its most passionate fans.