After the grand spectacle of the world cup got over with Spain winning the coveted FIFA World Cup 2010 I got a SMS that read – Breaking News: Octopus Paul has fainted and died of shock and the reason: He was asked when India is going to win FIFA Word cup. Many such jokes and SMSes have found their way to the public through SMS, emails, face book and Orkut and other means of communications with Paul as the centre stage, whenever the conversation centered around this years FIFA world cup. Paul was the real hero who attracted greater attraction than some of the football stars of the World Cup. With all its predictions about the world cup matches Pulpo Paul is one of the most searched in the charts. Considering India’s standing in the football vis-a-vis the world, which is at the bottom, the younger generation is quick to have fun in their own way with little help from Paul.
It is a small wonder that people world over blindly believed in such predictions, an unhealthy sign for the educated generation. One fails to understand how Europeans and Americans, who consider themselves to be technologically advanced and genetically superior, who often poked fun at Asian and African countries for being backward, superstitious and lacking scientific temper, believe in the psychic powers of an eight legged Octopus. No wonder Germany was very much psyched in its semifinal match against Spain with the ghost of Paul’s predictions hovering over it. Netherlands though fought bravely? (Most football fans felt the final was a scrappy, rough and badly played game), finally had resign to the fate as Paul had predicted Spain’s victory.
A PAKISTAN TIMES
