KOLKATA: Three days ago, it was a beautiful blend of Canary yellow and blue that made the Salt Lake Stadium, the cauldron of Indian football, a spectacle. But on Tuesday, the numbers appeared lesser than it was on Saturday. However, the colour was overwhelmingly blue. As of 6.15pm, the arena saw fans slowly taking their seats, with stands largely appearing empty. But 45 minutes later, the numbers increased but not by much.
In a push to increase fan attendance, the organisers and the West Bengal Government have sold tickets at subsidized prices and handed out free tickets, respectively.
The free tickets were handed to those who were impacted by the chaos caused in the G.O.A.T tour event where Lionel Messi graced the arena. Around 22,000 people were identified for free tickets. But a few reportedly returned empty handed citing issues with the tickets from the Messi event and accompanying documents.
Coming back to Tuesday, the few numbers were able to make their presence felt, outside the stadium. Just as the Indian team bus swooshed past the entry gates, the fans were able to recognise their players and show their excitement.
And near those gates, an influencer associated with the kit manufacturer of the Indian team got young fans showing their football skills. Those succeeding with keepy-uppies were either given an authentic jersey of India or free tickets to the match.
While such small efforts may bring a slight increase in the volume levels, the overall response remained underwhelming.
On Saturday, it was just over 51,000. On a weekend, those numbers, in a stadium that can host up to 70,000 people, is underwhelming. Given the fact that this match is on a weekday, the final number is expected to be lower. The only question is whether those in the stadium can make their voices heard by players and give them the extra push. Only time will tell.