PANAJI
Cricket may not be that big as a sport in Goa as compared to football, but IPL do has its own fan following, especially among the younger generation, in this tiny football-crazy state.
Every year IPL comes with a bang and Goa, of course, is no exception to the IPL mania, with folks all across the state glued to the good game either on television, mobile or in pubs and restaurants.
Even though, every few Goan players have played at the IPL over the seasons, the two months of IPL sees cricket fever in Goa at an all-time high. Goan crowd can be seen cheering for their favourite teams/players with tremendous passion and zeal.
Favourites IPL teams among Goan cricket loving masses are Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Mumbai Indians (MI), Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) with Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Mahendra Singh Dhoni their favourite players.
"I am a big IPL fan and just love watching the matches on big screens. It’s a totally different atmosphere to watch the game among the crowd in restaurants. My favourite team is RCB." says, Rahul Manerkar, a young IT professional from Vasco, who has been following IPL ever since its inception in 2008.
Another IPL fan, Diksha Naik from Ponda says, “I am a huge Dhoni fan and CSK is my all-time favourite team. But, we really miss Goan players in the IPL. It’s sad to see that very few Goan players get selected to play in this prestigious league.”
“We usually flock in groups to watch IPL matches on big screens in restaurants. We like the ambience, the big screen and the offer. It all goes well in sync. It’s great fun to hang out with friends and watch IPL matches along with some good food and drinks.” says, Ibrahim Shaikh, a cricket enthusiast from Margao whose favourite team is Mumbai Indians and Rohit Sharma his favourite cricketer.
“I watch IPL for the fun of it. The timings are convenient and it helps me to cheer my favourite team and player,” says Richa Kamat, a young professional from Panaii, adding that Kolkata Knight Riders is her favourite team since she is a die-hard fan of Shahrukh Khan, who happens to be the co-owner of Kolkata Knight Riders and Virat Kohli is her favourite player.
There is no doubt that IPL has become an international brand with many foreign
players playing in this prestigious T20 league. The foreign crowds who visit the pubs
are mostly seen cheering their local countrymen.
In this celebrative mood of cricket season, pubs and restaurants across Goa are leaving no stone unturned and in fact, are competing with each other, showering offers for people to choose from as they beam matches on big screen TVs in their pubs.
Cashing on the IPL mania, some pubs and restaurants have installed big screens and sound systems for the IPL matches and are offering discounts on food and drinks.
“During an international tournament like IPL, restaurant business definitely goes up.” says, Lyndon Furtdao, owner of a popular restaurant in North Goa.
Some restaurants are going the extra-mile to attract more customers during IPL season.
“In order to make the atmosphere more vibrant during IPL time, we have introduced
some exciting contests for our guests like predict and win, predict the score, predict
player of the match and winners take home some exciting prizes from our sponsors.”
says, Tony Fernandes, owner of a pub and restaurant in Panaji.
With nightlife and dining fast picking up to become a part of Goan culture, IPL frenzy definitely adds up to the excitement. With decent earning and spending capabilities, Goans do not mind spending those extra bucks to get a feel of ‘live’ action happening.
