Mid-Day
 
Mumbai, Jun 8: When the World Cup kicks off in Germany, with the hosts taking on Costa Rica, Mumbai will be treated to its very own opening game.

In what will be the biggest mismatch — and hopefully the greatest upset — since Lagaan, Mumbai’s Dabbawallahs will take on the Boys of Brazil, an amateur street football team, at the Kamla Mills compound in Lower Parel. The match is scheduled for 2 pm.

MiD DAY attended a practice session of the Dabbawallah XI on Wednesday, and found that they put as much passion into football as they do in their daily dabba rounds.

The team bought a football as soon as they got the green light from Raghunath Medge, president of the Dabbawallah Association, yesterday.

‘We will show them our josh’

The Dabbawallahs take a time-out during their practice session on Wednesday

Medge said they were practising in various parts of the city, from Churchgate to Andheri. “The final team will be selected on Thursday,”  he said.

If the boys were nervous about taking on a team from arguably the world’s most passionate footballing nation, it did not show. “We will show them how much josh we dabbawallahs have,” said Vishnu Namdeo Sawant (19).
Sawant said he last played football when he was in school in Pune four years ago. Since then, he has been delivering dabbas between Grant Road and Churchgate.

Barku Lout (46) is not of the ideal age for a game of football, and may not even play on Friday, but that didn’t diminish his enthusiasm one bit at yesterday’s practice session. “I have come to boost the spirits of the boys. I will be there to egg them on during the game too,” he said.

Sanjay Ghag (21) said, “The Boys from Brazil may be great players, but we too have great stamina from delivering tiffins day in and day out. We will make up for our lack of skill with determination.”

Balu Shinde (21) said, “We may not be great footballers, but the spirit of Mumbai’s dabbawallas will definitely be on display.”

Navnath Deoram Khangle (20) added, “We have nothing to lose. We are ready for a good game and some time away from the humdrum of our lives.”

The event, Defend Your Turf, has been organised to popularise street football in India. “Dabbawallahs symbolise Mumbai, which is why they have been chosen for the match,” said an official from Nokia, the event sponsor.
 
BOYS FROM BRAZIL

Xande ‘The Bullet’
Captain, record-breaking scorer

Vaguinho ‘The Iceberg’
Cool-headed defender
(extreme left)

Xandó ‘Little Assassin”
A deadly finisher

Michael ‘The Phantom’
Elusive and unpredictable

Marcelo ‘The Prince’
Cold-blooded striker

Sidney ‘The Joker’
Livewire utility

Danilo ‘Samba King’
Personification of Brazilian flair

Diegol ‘The Maverick’
Expect the unexpected