Intercontinental Cup 2024: Despite decent turnout, poor marketing underlines major issues with football fan culture in India

A football match is for everyone but using children just to fill stands and mask the authorities’ poor management is one of the many things that is wrong with the footballing culture in India.

Anyone who saw India’s match against Mauritius in the Intercontinental Cup 2024 would automatically assume that the turnout was respectable, with the ‘India India’ chants reverberating across the arena. | Photo Credit: AIFF Media

When the national football team returns to your city for a match after 16 years, the natural expectation is to spread the news as much as possible and resort to fierce advertising to reach as many people as possible and urge them to attend the match.

With India, playing under former Hyderabad FC coach Manolo Marquez for the first time, the occasion was perfect for the administration to ensure that the renovated G.M.C Balayogi Stadium would fill to the brim, with the people cheering their lungs out for the Blue Tigers.

Anyone who saw India’s match against Mauritius in the Intercontinental Cup 2024 would automatically assume that the turnout was respectable, with the ‘India India’ chants reverberating across the arena.

However, if one delves deeper, it’ll be clear that some major last-minute decisions were taken to mask the poor marketing of the Intercontinental Cup, which left many in the city completely unaware of the tournament.

As the diary travelled towards the stadium, there weren’t any hoardings visible throughout the city, despite India playing here after such a long time. The only visible banners were at the stadium entrance, thronged by jersey sellers, who stood near their makeshift stalls and waited eagerly for customers.

However, local fans were a scarce sight with 45 minutes remaining for the match.

Instead, a flight of VIP and VVIP cars made their way past the entrance, amid extra-tight security because Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy was supposed to attend.

The box office tent did not have a single person queuing for tickets, with a policeman standing beside it, who threw a questionable glance at the diary as he took a picture of the desolate box office tent.

“We have issued almost 10000 passes for VIPs and VVIPs for this match. Since ticket sales have been low, many schools have been issued tickets in bulk for free so that the stands do not remain empty,” said a source in charge of ticket sales who did not wish to be named.

“The authorities also had to fill the stands because so many dignitaries would be there, and empty stands would be seen in poor light. However, the ticket sales for the general public are low because the tournament was not advertised properly. Many people don’t even know about this tournament.”

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For Pabitra Sikdar, matchdays are his major source of income.

Be it cricket or football, he is a common face outside the stadiums of Hyderabad and says that his jerseys have always sold well before matches. But ahead of the India match against Mauritius, Sikdar said it was slower than he expected.

“How will the people know? If you don’t advertise and tell people, it is not their fault. I have been outside the stadium since 3 pm but have sold just one jersey till now. I saw many buses taking in schoolchildren, but how is it possible for me to stop a bus and ask them to buy jerseys? That is not practical,” sighed Sikdar.

Minutes later, six big buses filled with children in their respective school uniforms make their way inside the stadium.

A football match is for everyone, and schools are welcome if they decide to bring their students to watch India play. But using children just to fill stands and mask the authorities’ poor management is one of the many things that is wrong with the footballing culture in India.

“This will never happen during a cricket match,” said Sikdar, who continued to scan the surroundings in the hope of finding customers.

“You should see during the IPL (Indian Premier League)- the entire city has hoardings and advertisements - even when the Indian cricket team is playing. Cricket and football are not the same in this city. There is a big difference.”

Vihan, a member of the Sreenidi Deccan Junior Academy, was waiting for two of his friends as they wanted to enter the stadium together.

“I don’t think there was much advertising. I play football myself and so, I knew where the match was. But at first, I did not know where to get the tickets from. Minor details like parking space, what will be allowed inside the stadium and what won’t, these things were not so clear at first,” Vihan said.

In terms of presentation, the GMC Balayogi Stadium did not disappoint. From burning a fire torch (like the Olympics) at the top of the stadium to brandishing its newly installed lights, the atmosphere was not bland.

On one side of the diary, school children were being ferociously instructed by their teachers to clap, while on the other, the VIP section mostly resorted to watching the match in silence.