Before the whistle blows....

The energy and enthusiasm shown by the crowd before the start of an Indian Super League match at Kochi is infectious
By Shevlin Sebastian “Am I the only girl who has come to see the match?” says 14-year-old Sneha, as she walks on the road just outside the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium at Kochi on Sunday. This is an hour before the start of the Indian Super League (ISL) match between Kerala Blasters (KB) and the Delhi Dynamos. Indeed, for a moment, she seems to be right. And, on the dot, at 7 p.m., the match begins. Or, as the theme song of the ISL says, ‘C’mon India, let’s football’.