FIFA fever: Doon’s Latin American community battle time zones to cheer their countries

Dehradun: A small but vibrant Latin American community in Dehradun and Haridwar — with members from Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador, Costa Rica and Venezuela — is celebrating the FIFA World Cup with unshakable enthusiasm, gathering to cheer for their teams and share a strong sense of community despite being thousands of kms away from home.Despite the challenge of late-night kick-offs due to time zone differences, the families are leaving no stones unturned by waking in the middle of the night to watch their teams play. The group, comprising around 15–20 residents, has turned the global spectacle into a local celebration.Ricardo Vargas of Mexico has been living with his family in Dehradun for over four years and runs a Mexican restaurant in the city.

He admitted he ‘regrets that he can’t watch the matches live in the stadium’ with his home country being a co-host of the tournament.“I was blessed with a baby boy last year. Due to precautions and parental duty, we couldn’t travel to Mexico for the World Cup. I feel jealous watching the people celebrating inside the stadiums in Mexico. But my family members and I are going all out for my team while in India,” Vargas told TOI.

Echoing similar sentiments, German Daniel of Argentina, who runs a language and football academy in Dehradun said that he had set reminders for the matches of his national team to watch them live. “My whole family, including my two daughters, aged 5 and 9, wakes up at odd hours just to support our team. We are sitting in Dehradun, but our heart is beating for Argentina with a hope that it reaches the final. With the kind of fandom for Messi in India, we are just overwhelmed with joy,” said Daniel.Abian Kenneth from Brazil, who runs a coffee shop in Haridwar with his wife and two daughters, said that despite living in India, he feels that he is among Brazilians.“I feel this because so many people in India support the Brazilian football team. We even wake up at 3am with excitement to support our team just as we did during the 2002 World Cup in South Korea-Japan, when odd hours never kept us from our TV sets. Here in Uttarakhand, the support for Brazil among locals makes it feel like home away from home,” said Kenneth.Elizabeth Cuvi from Ecuador, who worked at a restaurant in Dehradun, said Mexico’s role as co-host makes the entire Latin American diaspora feel represented. “It feels like the whole region is hosting the tournament,” she said.