Football enthusiasts brighten up streets of Malir for FIFA World Cup

Football enthusiasts of Gul Baloch Football Club paint walls and adorn neighbourhood with flags of international football teams

Waqas Alam Angaria

November 13, 2022

One of the residents of Malirs Siddique Goth paints a wall on the street with flags of participating countries. — Twitter/FIFA/@FIFAcom — One of the residents of Malir's Siddique Goth paints a wall on the street with flags of participating countries. — Twitter/FIFA/@FIFAcom

KARACHI: As countdown to the FIFA World Cup begins, football fanatics in Malir's Siddique Goth are ready to enjoy the world's mega, month-long sporting event.

Residents of the area are preparing to witness the global tournament with immense excitement and fervour. People living in Siddique Goth have deemed football as their favourite sport and Brazil its favoured team.

Not just a single house, but the entire neighbourhood is awaiting to welcome the World Cup with bated breath. Some have adorned their homes by painting Brazil's flag, others have pasted its star footballer Neymar's picture.

Flags lined up above the street in Malir with flags of football teams in the FIFA World Cup. — Photo by author

Youngsters in the area gathered to paint flags of participating teams and faces of star footballers on the walls of their streets. Colours could be seen scattered throughout Siddique Goth — all thanks to the local Gul Baloch Football Club whose players are spending day and night to decorate the walls with sketches.

These players from the local club wake up in the morning for work and after returning in the evening they rush for their football practice and later pick up the brush to cover the area's streets with colours.

Hameed Baloch, a local footballer and one of the painters, said that the decorations are part of their traditions.

Youngsters playing football for the Gul Baloch Football Club paint a wall in their neighbourhood ahead of the FIFA World Cups beginning. — Photo by author — Youngsters playing football for the Gul Baloch Football Club paint a wall in their neighbourhood ahead of the FIFA World Cup's beginning. — Photo by author

"We study in the morning and paint this at night. All this hard work is our reflection of love for football. All of this is done voluntarily by the Gul Baloch Football Club," Baloch said speaking to Geo News.

This tradition of decking up the neighbourhood has been in practice in the Siddique Goth since 2006 and a way for their residents to show their love for the game of football which has also been acknowledged by the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA).

The governing body of football took to its Twitter to share Pakistani fans' love for the game and its stars.