Last week I was travelling in a bus, and met a tourist on her way to Kovalam. She introduced herself as coming from Florida and on a business-pleasure trip to Kerala. She is basically from Venezuela. Suddenly I went blank as I didn't know the geographic position or anything of Venezuela. Later came to know from her, it is North of South America.
On my way back, I thought why that country doesn't strike me in first place? I know about Brazil, Argentina and even heard about Copa-America football played over there. Playing football makes these countries known to everyone. We know better what Maradona do in Argentina and RO's in Brazil.
Every Indian cricket fan knows the stadium name, place, pitch and climate conditions of South Africa, Australia, and WI. Why? Because playing cricket between India and these countries bring people and countries closer over years. Every cricket fan of Australia, knew the ploughed pitch of Mumbai and bad days at Eden Gardens.
South Africans hosted IPL as if it was their domestic tournament. Such is the support sports make. Similarly we know Harare, Nairobi and Barbados.
It doesn't matter whether it is football or cricket. It is like marketing your own country as South Africans done it with their Safari Ride, and WI on Caribbean islands to name a few.
When a cricket match telecasts from Sri Lanka, you see monasteries and smiling faces. When a match was held in Mumabi after 26/11, you didn't see any terrorism, but people who moved back to normal life.
Such is the power of sports, which heals all wounds and bring nations closer.
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