Some fans just had to have match tickets even if it meant purchasing them in black. R500 tickets were being sold from anything between Rs 800 to Rs 1500 and there were quite a few purchasers particularly at Gate No. 4 an hour before the 5pm start
An Indian fan during the quarters clash against the Netherlands yesterday
Hockey tickets sold in black
The 15,000-capacity Kalinga Stadium had been sold out for all India matches and same was the case at yesterday’s quarter-final against Netherlands with the tickets ranging from Rs 100 to Rs 500. But given the significance of the match, some fans just had to have match tickets even if it meant purchasing them in black. R500 tickets were being sold from anything between Rs 800 to Rs 1500 and there were quite a few purchasers particularly at Gate No. 4 an hour before the 5pm start of the day’s first match. The black marketing took place behind auto rickshaws parked at a distance from the gate, given heavy police presence everywhere.
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Guns and roses
The Odisha Police stall at the Fan Village is easily one of the best around. Smiling cops greet you at the entrance and willingly explain the various arms and ammunition on display. The best part though is the cache of weapons on display which include the dreaded AK47 and Uzi automatic guns. Fans can even pose for pictures with some of the guns, giving rise to quite a few Rambo-like poses by locals picking up rifles in both hands and firing imaginatively in the air.
Patriotic songs all around
Almost the entire evening saw a host of patriotic songs like Yeh desh hai veer jawaanon ka, Kandhey se kandhey (Lakshya) and Sultan’s title track blaring from the Kalinga Stadium’s loudspeakers here as the tournament’s organisers to rake up the patriotism factor among the 15,000-strong crowd supporting India against the Netherlands yesterday. However, it was the on-field hockey that mattered in the end. As soon as Netherlands took the lead a second time, the crowd went so quiet that you could hear a pin drop in the stadium.
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