CHENNAI: For Manoj Kumar and his wife Punam, Sunday was a very busy day. Braving the scorching sun, the couple were standing outside the MA Chidambaram stadium here since afternoon, selling jerseys, caps and Tricolors to the fans, who queued up to witness the India-West Indies T20 match.
For many, cricket may be just a game or a source of entertainment, but for traders such as Manoj, it means pure business. It is the only source through which these traders and hawkers eke out a decent livelihood. Such traders travel across the country during international matches and sell jerseys, flags, wristbands, headbands, hats etc. outside the stadium.
More than two dozen such traders selling cricket-related merchandise have arrived in the city from Kolkata, Delhi, Bihar, Pune and Madhya Pradesh to do business during the T20 match played between India and West Indies here on Sunday. And the cricket buffs at Chennai also didn’t disappoint them.
“For the last 15 years, my wife and I have been doing this business. We have travelled to almost every stadium in the country. The cricketers earn by playing inside the ground and we make money by selling merchandise outside the stadium,” said Manoj, who hails from Hadapsar in Pune.
Even Santosh Yadav and Karan Singh have similar tale to tell. “I started selling Tricolors outside Eden Garden stadium in Kolkata when I was 15 years old and the passion continues till today. On an average, I earn Rs 5,000 to Rs 7,000 a day,” says 40-year-old Yadav, who belongs to Bihar.
The good business has brought big smiles on the faces of these traders. “Since morning, I have sold over 200 headbands. Business here is good,” added Prahollad, a vendor from Kolkata.