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| Malavika R Banerjee / May 15, 2010, 00:24 IST |
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77-year-old Pannalal Chatterjee is all set to travel to South Africa for his eighth World Cup experience, he tells Malavika R Banerjee
In 1982, Pannalal Chatterjee, then a 49-year-old supervisor at the Kidderpore docks in Kolkata, discovered his life’s greatest passion — the soccer World Cup. Visiting relatives in Sussex, England, Chatterjee and his wife Chaitali travelled to Spain, which was hosting the World Cup that year, to catch a couple of games. This was before the live EPL telecast era, and Chatterjee, a former club-level soccer player, found the standard of soccer a revelation He was ready for more.
Chatterjee saved up for four years and went to the Mexico World Cup. Chaitali Chatterjee was equally excited by the prospect of experiencing soccer mania South America-style, and went along. Today, Chatterjee is 77, and his wife, a couple of years younger. They are gearing up for their eighth World Cup, this time in South Africa. “World Cups are my passion, and the high standard of soccer as well as the infrastructure is something to behold for a soccer lover,” he says. His travels have helped him meet greats such as Maradona, Pele and Eusebio. The Portuguese legend knows Chatterjee well and greets him warmly at every edition. His favourite World Cup has been the 1986 Mexico edition. “It made me a Maradona fan for life. The stadia and atmosphere there were fantastic. It was when the world discovered the Mexican wave, and seeing the crowds create the wave at the matches was something else.”
Chaitali, always at Chatterjee’s side in her crisp Bengal cotton sarees, also enjoys reminiscing about their soccer travels. Her only regret is that she did not enjoy Italy in 1990 because they were a little nervous about travelling in Europe. Besides being a club-level footballer, Chatterjee has also been involved in soccer administration. He often meets Indian officials who travel for the World Cup. “They are keen to do something for Indian soccer when they see the facilities abroad,” he says. “But once they come back, they soon lapse back into the existing system.
Chatterjee laments the decline of club soccer in Kolkata — both the Maidan giants Mohun Bagan and East Bengal are struggling at the national level — and feels that the new generation prefers gaming over games, and even parents don’t actively encourage outdoor activities. “Thanks to Sourav Ganguly, city kids who are inclined towards sport prefer cricket.”
Chatterjee’s eyes light up at the thought of the World Cup barely a few weeks away. Once again he will be accompanied by Chaitali who will take arthritic pain in her stride to make the trip. Thanks to the media, their achievement of travelling to eight straight World Cups has received a lot of coverage; today, part of their trip is being financed by a liquor company.
“South Africa is a new continent, and though we hear it’s a dangerous place, we will be fine because we are going with friends,” says Chatterjee.
The septuagenarians lead a simple life in their flat in Kidderpore. This is their only indulgence other than hosting biriyani lunches for their soccer friends from the Maidan.
After having seen it all, from Paulo Rossi to Lionel Messi, Chatterjee’s wanderlust remains unabated. “I have relatives in London, so I plan to watch the 2012 London Olympics,” he says. “It’s going to be my first ever Olympics, and I am looking forward to it,” the old gentleman concludes as he looks forward to a new sports odyssey.
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