World Cup, Then and Now….

It was the summer of 1978. I was so up to my nose with the preparations for my A-Levels that was in a few days time then. I was sent to study at the Chesterfield College of Technology (now known as Chesterfield College), Chesterfield - a tiny market town in the county of Derbyshire. If one happens to travel by rail to Sheffield from down south, one might be able to catch a glimpse of the signature landmark of the place – the crooked spire of the town’s church, if one looks out of the left window of the carriage.

My other two housemates were cooped up in their respective rooms upstairs at the topmost floor, in the three floored semi detached house, silent and subdued. I had actually done most of the preparations. It was just a matter of going through the notes again and again as revisions. However, seeing others studying so hard sometimes make you ask yourself, “Why aren’t you studying too?” – if you understand what I mean…

After a time, I could not contain myself any longer. So, there I was, at the lounge area of the house (No. 10, Queen Street) rooted at the sofa, right in front of the TV, watching the games of the World Cup. The few hours in a day of occasional screamings and whatnots were actually food for my soul. The tension in me quickly ebbed away. My mind would be refreshed to take in the formulae, equations and theoretical facts to face the exams that was right around the corner. Argentina won 3-1 over Netherlands (2 goals made by Mario Kempes. A remarkable game it was indeed! And I had a great time, watching it all alone interspersed with intermittent activities - nail bitings, hair pullings, wrist wringing, hands in the air, at times punching the cushions or anything that I could lay my hands onto….it was a good thing that my housemates were so high up in the house…what with all the ruckus that I made…

And so, it is that time again this year. The place - South Africa. Today’s game was marred by a freak mistake made by the goalkeeper of England during the game facing USA. I am sure that he would not have wanted the incident to happen.

A quick reading of my one of my favourite websites Idris Tawfiq (an earlier entry about him on this blog can be found here – updates of which I obtained from time to time through email after registering at his website) made me ponder (read here)…

Idris Tafiq has said it well… Everything that happens is with His will.

However, my heart is constantly nagging - the biggest question still remains….the issue of Palestine and the fate of its people…would their cries of sufferings be drowned by the squeals and howls of spectators amid the goals scored during the World Cup?