The die-hard enthusiasm for the beautiful game among youngsters in Malappuram is well known. So much so that some go to any extent to send home their message through football.
This time, they had a timely one — against sky-rocketing petrol and diesel prices.
Even as netizens share trolls on social media about petrol becoming a “precious product”, organisers of Mangattupulam Arts and Sports Club near here offered a unique prize to the best player of a one-day tournament it conducted on Saturday: two litres of petrol.
Pilakkal Pasc football team’s K. Anas, who received the prize, said: “It is a rare accolade. It has more value than what it costs.” Mangattupulam Arts and Sports Club president M. Sameer said that the tournament organisers decided so as a “symbolic protest” against spiralling fuel prices.
Mr. Anas’s team lifted the championship by defeating a team from Kozhikode.