A Football Fanatic from a Cricket Crazy Nation

My love affair with Football started at the age of 7. Spending my early childhood in England, there was no way I could overlook the passionate support of all the people around me when it came to Football.

One of the earliest memories was the 1986 FIFA World Cup, where in the quarter final, I witnessed two very different sides of the game. Whether it was Maradona’s hand of God on the 51st minute, or whether it was the goal of the century, when he outclassed 6 members of the English squad. I knew right then, that there is more to Football than just kicking the ball around. 

My passion grew for the game, when me and my friends would put our coats down to make goal posts and play 5 a side games in shear cold weather. Mr. Smith, our sports teacher, handpicked a few kids from my school, to get coaching from an ex professional; I was one of the fortunate few. Being able to play as a unit, only made me realize what team play is all about. I remember playing on the fields, surrounded by hilly tops, were parents would gather to watch their kids. I loved the way my parents sat there and cheered out loudly every time I got a touch of the ball – Till date, this memory holds a lot of significance in my life.

At the age of 14, my parents opted to migrate to Pakistan, and that’s when I feared my love affair coming to an abrupt end. I remember seeing kids playing cricket on the streets, where as I, would be kicking the ball against the wall for hours. I called this wall Gazza (Paul Gascoigne).

Then an interschool football tournament came up. I remember captaining my team, and basically teaching them the basics of Football. I played as a left winger, but it seemed I was everywhere. Upon reaching the final of the tournament, it went into penalties. My goal keeper, petrified by the pressure of being in the goal for penalties opted out, which game me the pedestal to shine. With my childhood crush looking on, I had to impress. That I did, making us win 4-2 on penalties.

Indeed, a moment to cherish, yet, every touch of the ball crystal clear in my memory.

Then college began. Being a freshman, it was an honor to be selected for the college team. And when I got to find out that our team would tour a host of English colleges, I felt as if I’ll relive my childhood once more. Unfortunately, when we were about to submit our documents for the visa process, the tragic event of 9/11 happened, and the tour got cancelled.

It seemed that was the end of my playing days. Yet, I was not going to move away from the sport entirely. Cable TV came to the rescue. And watching the premiere league week in week out made me more passionate than ever. Since my early years, I supported Liverpool FC, whereas, all of my friends supported Manchester United. I don’t know but there was something cool about being unique.   

There were many other moments of the FIFA World Cups, that i still have fond memories of, such as, Beckham’s red card against arch rivals Argentina, Michael Owen’s fantastic goal against Brazil, and of course the recent, Zidane’s head butt in the final against Italy – moment of madness indeed.

I think I have transmitted my germs to my 2 year old nephew, who is obsessed with kicking the ball around, and is fascinated when I header the ball. I call him Messi.

it’s a personal agenda to somehow remain associated the beautiful game. Who would have thought 10 years from today, that Football would become a mainstream sport in Pakistan? But the truth is, Football, now is the 2^nd most popular sport in Pakistan and is constantly gaining popularity.

For me, football is not just a sport. it is a way of life. It is a religion. It is a cult. Maybe one day, my name would be mentioned amongst a few, as an ambassador for this game we call Football. This is my story.

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