EURO cup fever: Soccer-crazy Bengalureans pack bags to head to France

Bengaluru: Born into a football-loving family, Nishad Nagaraj’s tryst with the sport began at a very young age. The 20-year-old, who always nurtured the dream of becoming a footballer, now plays for the Indian junior team.
After watching some action-packed Euro Cup-2016 matches on TV, he could not resist but pack his bags to head straight to Paris for the finale scheduled for July 11.
Meanwhile, Chordia brothers are fulfilling their father’s dream to witness a big match as close as it can get. The family of four plans to make it for the semi-finals and also tour Paris, Lyon and La Masse in France. “My father is a fan of the England team; we grew up seeing more of football than cricket. I and my brother Saurabh had been thinking of taking my father to one of these big events,” says Harsh Chordia, resident of Shantinagar.
They are not alone. Many football-loving Bengalureans are heading to Paris to watch the action live. Industry biggies say sports tourism is picking up in India and it’s Bengalureans who are setting the trend.
Nishad, who has pooled in his savings of Rs 50,000, got financial help from his parents too. He’s planning to visit southern France, Italy and the Netherlands with his friends. “We booked flight tickets much in advance. We are looking for families who will allow us to stay with them at night. There are several websites with details of hosts. I’m a fan of the Netherlands team, so I wish to see the sporting facilities there,” he says.
“Indians are passionate about sports. Planning one’s travel itinerary around major sport events has become popular now. Travellers and sports enthusiasts travel across India to watch their favourite players but they don’t stop at that. Once the game is over, they explore. There’s been growing interest in the past two years,” Holiday IQ founder and CEO Hari Nair says.
According to Vikram Ahuja, founder of Byond Travel, sports tourism is growing steadily in India and more so through corporate sector. “Many in the country travel for cricket events, but the World Cup Football in 2014 saw over 3,500 Indians visiting Brazil. Many Indians also travelled to Australia last year and cricket was the main reason,” he adds.
Ravi B, city-based entrepreneur, who visited South Africa and Australia during cricket tournaments in 2007 and 2011, said, “Being a cricket fan, it’s natural for me to go to watch the most awaited events. This time, I’m going to Austria to meet a friend and then visit France towatch Euro Cup .”