The best box seats for all the best sport is now home

The EPL starts today and the IPL and later the ISL will commence later. Goa loves to watch sporting encounters in pubs or clubs but this year many have decided to stay at home and watch these leagues. Café spoke to fans

Ajit John

The sporting season commences today for a lot people. The English Premier leagues commences yet again with some of the top teams resuming battle. The Ashes are being contested in England. Importantly for fans of cricket the IPL will commence in a couple of weeks in Dubai and at home in Goa the ISL will play all its matches in the state. This is like a godsend for a state that obsesses over the game. Watching sports in the state likes elsewhere is a community activity. Families and friends come together watch the game, mainly in pibs and sports bars consume copious amounts of beverages and eat snacks. Whilst doing all this they analyze the game threadbare. Now sadly the situation has changed. The virus has ensured that there is now a physical distance which has to be maintained between people. This has meant that going out to the club to have a few and watch a game has taken an entirely different hue. And that might jot even happen. SO home is the best option  

Rohit Salgaonkar a resident of Taleigao said “2020 has been so unpredictable it is very difficult for people to come together to watch their favourite teams play cricket or football. Being a sports fanatic I never miss out on the opportunity to watch either Arsenal or KKR play their games. However this year I will stay away from the pubs and watch the games at home with close friends. It will also be possible to follow the sops. It is better to be safe than sorry”.

Nishant Malpani of Margao a devoted Chelsea fan said he had decided to watch the games at home in a small group of two or three people where it would be possible to control the environment.  

Gaurav Mahambre of Porvorim felt the resumption of the leagues like the Premier League, the IPL in UAE and ISL later would bring some normalcy to life. He said considering the stress the whole world was going through this would certainly be a relief for sports fans. He said “Screenings for matches will be limited this year as I feel most won’t take a risk of going out. Although depending on the place and the atmosphere, if the SOP’s are followed by the pub than I won’t mind visiting for screenings as it’s altogether a different buoyant atmosphere. On a personal level as a fan I am supporting Kolkata Knight Riders(KKR) & Chelsea and I get feel that a big season is brewing for us”.

For die hard FC Goa fan, Kunal Kunkolienkar the prospect of watching his beloved team from home will be a very different experience. He said “I have watched all their games in the fortress supporting the team when they play at home. I will miss my friends from the East Lower Army and the FC Goa Fan club but this is a phase and I am sure this too shall pass”. He was now preparing to  watch the EPL and later the IPL in Dubai and will watch it with family instead of chilling with friends at a local pub.

For musician and die hard FC Goa fan Omi Omkar the start of the season could not have come at a better time. He said “ It is great to see global sporting events finally starting and we’ve already got a taste of the UEFA Champions league and the Nations League and I’m personally enjoying the Formula 1 Triple headers. But the big bang is certainly the start of the EPL, IPL & for me the ISL to be played in Goa. It will be a good end to a frustrating 2020. Things obviously aren’t same as before as most events will be played behind closed doors but one can definitely enjoy the matches at home with the family. One has to be still careful whilst inviting friends to your place or vice versa as in Goa particularly we’re seeing the cases increase steadily. Prevention is better than cure”.

Perhaps Bosco Fernandes articulated it the best when he said “Let’s face it, the atmosphere and excitement at a screening or a live game is a different level and almost everyone wants to get back to it. But there are many things that can go wrong, especially in some sports. In some countries, football fans can be pretty violent and careless, so this has to be taken into account given the COVID-19 situation.

I’m from Margao but currently based in Bangalore. So if you ask me about it, I would definitely be staying at home as a safety measure. I still get to watch the team I support, that’s Manchester United. Also, the Internet is a powerful service to have and one can always get in touch via every social media platform to discuss the pre and post match reactions. I’m looking forward to a cracking season hope you all are too.”

We are all looking to some cracking games simmering with excitement and also hoping that the number of cases reduce as more people prefer to stay at home and watch these various leagues.