A sport is much more than those fleeting hours of action on the field; it leaves an enduring imprint on the society around it. It is never really about the results, the final scores, or the titles won and lost.
Those are just statistics, destined to be crowded out and forgotten as time passes. What makes sport deeply human is the profound effect it has on those who follow it.
I am currently on my annual break, driving through the countryside. The arrival of the rains was the trigger for this getaway, and they are fully upon us now. The drive from Bangalore to Kerala is smooth, the traffic thinning out delightfully once the city limits fade away. But the moment I cross the border into Kerala, I notice something unmistakable.
Football fever has arrived.
