The author compares the half filled stadiums in India when we hosted the world cup in 2011 with fully jam packed stadiums in Brazil for the FIDA World cup now being held in every match whether the host (Brazil) played or not..Looks true..There is plenty of cricket played in various forms..May be we are over doing and spectator interest is waning
Why Soccer in Brazil Is Better Than Cricket in India - WSJ
Brazil isn't alone in having a national identity so tied to a single sport. India, for one, could claim to be more obsessed with cricket than Brazil is with soccer.
It is impossible to quantify which country is more passionate about their favorite sport. But, at the risk of angering a billion people from Kashmir to Kerala, Brazilian soccer fans are at least more committed to theirs.
At this World Cup, Brazilians have filled the stadiums no matter who was playing. In Cuiaba, for example, the Arena Pantanal was packed every match. The western Brazilian city of 500,000 people is no soccer heartland, but it embraced the tournament even though the Seleção didn't pay a visit.
When India jointly hosted the last Cricket World Cup, its grounds were often half empty. Delhi's ragged Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium, which would've been put down years ago if it were a dog, was a sea of dirty, empty seats for an evening match between South Africa and the West Indies. Likewise, Chennai's M.A. Chidambaram Stadium was a third full, at best, for a weekend match between England and South Africa.
In Indian cities populated by millions, World Cup matches between cricket's elite teams failed to fill stadiums. In remote Cuiaba, tens of thousands of Brazilians dressed in the yellow national shirt turned up to watch South Korea play Russia, one of the least glamorous ties of this World Cup. They cheered for South Korea, FYI.
In India, even when the national team is playing, fans have been known to only show up to see a certain batsman and then leave when he is dismissed.
Why Soccer in Brazil Is Better Than Cricket in India - WSJ
Brazil isn't alone in having a national identity so tied to a single sport. India, for one, could claim to be more obsessed with cricket than Brazil is with soccer.
It is impossible to quantify which country is more passionate about their favorite sport. But, at the risk of angering a billion people from Kashmir to Kerala, Brazilian soccer fans are at least more committed to theirs.
At this World Cup, Brazilians have filled the stadiums no matter who was playing. In Cuiaba, for example, the Arena Pantanal was packed every match. The western Brazilian city of 500,000 people is no soccer heartland, but it embraced the tournament even though the Seleção didn't pay a visit.
When India jointly hosted the last Cricket World Cup, its grounds were often half empty. Delhi's ragged Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium, which would've been put down years ago if it were a dog, was a sea of dirty, empty seats for an evening match between South Africa and the West Indies. Likewise, Chennai's M.A. Chidambaram Stadium was a third full, at best, for a weekend match between England and South Africa.
In Indian cities populated by millions, World Cup matches between cricket's elite teams failed to fill stadiums. In remote Cuiaba, tens of thousands of Brazilians dressed in the yellow national shirt turned up to watch South Korea play Russia, one of the least glamorous ties of this World Cup. They cheered for South Korea, FYI.
In India, even when the national team is playing, fans have been known to only show up to see a certain batsman and then leave when he is dismissed.
