Heavy rains did not deter fans of the Iranian football team from showing up at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium on Monday evening to cheer them on at a practice session ahead of the match against India for the FIFA World Cup qualifiers on Tuesday.
As the practice session began around 5 p.m., the city started receiving heavy rains. The situation grew worse as the evening progressed and soon the only persons at the stadium were the players and a few die-hard fans.
“We want our team to win. It’s great to be able to see them play in Bengaluru. I have not been home in two years and I’ll get to meet many of my countrymen on Tuesday. We will watch the match together,” said Ahmad Jamshid from Tehran, who is studying computer science in the city.
While opinion seemed divided over the possible outcomes of the match between the Indian and Iranian fans, the mood was one of expectation. “I hope it does not rain like this as long as the match is on,” said Krishnan S., a fan.
However, many had to leave disappointed on Monday as they were not able to get tickets. “All my friends have got tickets. We want to watch the match but the ticket counter was closed. Hopefully, I can get a ticket on the day of the match,” said Miriyam from Iran, a medical student at KIMS. The city has a sizable population of Iranians, most of them students. For those who cannot make it to the stadium, they plan to catch the match at a pub or at home. “We will call our friends home and watch the match. We have some friends coming from Mysuru also,” said Jawad Amin, a BBM student from Tehran.
