Doha: Thousands of migrant workers wearing the colours of Argentina, Brazil and England staged a World Cup parade in Doha on November 11, less than 10 days from the start of the tournament.
Fans of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Harry Kane converged on the Doha seafront for a march that would normally not have been allowed, according to an AFP journalist.
The fans came mainly from the Kerala state, a football bastion in India that also accounts for a huge chunk of the Indian migrant community in Qatar of about 750,000 people. Qatar has a total population of about 2.8 million.
The hordes turned up for the event that was organised on social media and marched behind drummers to the World Cup countdown clock overlooking the Gulf.
“Police were told in advance and this is our day,” said one organiser who requested anonymity.
Asia’s World Cup
Demonstrations and rallies are rare in Qatar and are normally confronted by tight security, but police watched the fans from a discreet distance.
“The foreign workers in Qatar love football and they’ve bought a lot of tickets,” added the organiser. “This is the first World Cup in an Arab nation, but in many ways, this is also going to be the first World Cup in South Asia.”
The fans donned the blue and white strips of Argentina and Brazil’s yellow jerseys, bearing the names of Messi and Neymar, but also Indian names.
“This is a day of joy for us,” said one man who gave his name as Rajesh. “There will be no politics, we’re going to sing and chant about football - especially Lionel Messi.”
Qatar residents have been the top buyers of tickets for the tournament. India has also been a key market for ticket sales.
Source: AFP
