Flag trade booms as fans fight aerial battle over WC
Sunday, 6 June 2010
Monira Munni
Flag business has boomed across Bangladesh as millions of football-craze fans are fighting an aerial battle of loyalty in the country's every village, town and city ahead of the World Cup soccer in South Africa.
Thousands of hawkers, tailors and small garment owners are cashing in on the quadrennial global football fest with the perceived rivalry between South American giants, Brazil and Argentina, adding fuel to the fire.
Street vendors who used to sell clothing, flowers and fruits in the city are suddenly hawking flags of World Cup teams, with the green and yellow of Brazil and the blue and white of Argentina dominating their bamboo poles.
The prestigious tournament - the biggest sport event after Olympics -- begins thousands of miles away on June 11, but its fever has gripped Bangladesh despite its national team is ranked lowly 157th in world soccer and where cricket is gaining popularity.
Taijul Uddin, 20 used to be a pop-corn seller at Dhaka's busy road crossings. Now he sells flags and the profit is "the best" he has made in his three-year hawker's life.
"For the last two weeks, I've been selling flags worth Tk 2,500. I make 30 per cent profit. Allah Almighty has finally graced me," Taijul said, with eyes beaming with gratitude.
His friend Badsha Mia also gave up clothing trade at Gulistan's busiest footpath and was selling only Brazil and Argentine flags, which are fans' favourite.
"I've other flags. But they don't sell. People are crazy about Brazil and Argentina. In the past 15 days, I've sold more than 3,000 flags of the two nations," he said.
Hawkers are not the only ones who are cashing in on the flag business. Tailors are working day and night to fulfill orders while small garment factories have temporarily switched to sewing of flags to boost their flagging revenue.
At Star Sports, Tailor F Hossain Titu hadn't had sleep for weeks as his small shop -- a maker of players' jerseys -- are busily cutting and sewing flags of World Cup teams.
"I used to curse myself because the last few years I did not make enough money. Domestic soccer is not doing well and the fans these days hardly buy jerseys of Abahani and Mohammedan," Titu, 35, said.
Anwar Ahmed's small garment factory used to make T-shirt, sub-contracting from bigger manufacturers. But in the past one year his business bled profusely after the country's apparel export got a hammering due to the global recession.
"The last one month, I am just sewing flags for some wholesalers who sell World Cup flags all over the country. It's great business. The workers are happy that they'll get salaries in due time next month," Ahmed said.
Unlike in the past, the craze for World Cup has also gripped the countryside with the villagers proudly fluttering their new-found allegiance over their tin-shed homes.
Sadhan Roy of Jhenidah said he is flying a 50-feet Argentine flag on a bamboo pole in his house. He loves Argentina and thinks it will finally end its Cup drought as Maradona is back in the team - albeit in the role of coach.
"Diego Maradona does not know how to lose. And we also have Lionel Messi, currently the world's best player. No team can beat us," he said.
Roy has spent Tk1100, a fourth of his monthly earning as a jewelry artisan, in the flag and he thinks the money was well-spent. "I am sure it'll pay dividend," he said.
His friend Kalipada Das feels Brazil will win again as Dunga - the 1994 World Cup winning captain of the Latin American giant -- knows the magic to win tournament.
"We may not have Ronaldinho this time. But Kaka is there and also Robinho. I read in the newspapers that Brazil has the best defence and offence," he said.
Kalipada flies a small four-feet flag over his one-storied house. He has also bought and distributed more than a dozen Greens and Yellows to fellow Brazilian fans.
Roy and Kalipada's passion for the Cup may border on insanity. But to thousands of small time hawkers and tailors, it's a business sent from heaven.
Flag business has boomed across Bangladesh as millions of football-craze fans are fighting an aerial battle of loyalty in the country's every village, town and city ahead of the World Cup soccer in South Africa.
Thousands of hawkers, tailors and small garment owners are cashing in on the quadrennial global football fest with the perceived rivalry between South American giants, Brazil and Argentina, adding fuel to the fire.
Street vendors who used to sell clothing, flowers and fruits in the city are suddenly hawking flags of World Cup teams, with the green and yellow of Brazil and the blue and white of Argentina dominating their bamboo poles.
The prestigious tournament - the biggest sport event after Olympics -- begins thousands of miles away on June 11, but its fever has gripped Bangladesh despite its national team is ranked lowly 157th in world soccer and where cricket is gaining popularity.
Taijul Uddin, 20 used to be a pop-corn seller at Dhaka's busy road crossings. Now he sells flags and the profit is "the best" he has made in his three-year hawker's life.
"For the last two weeks, I've been selling flags worth Tk 2,500. I make 30 per cent profit. Allah Almighty has finally graced me," Taijul said, with eyes beaming with gratitude.
His friend Badsha Mia also gave up clothing trade at Gulistan's busiest footpath and was selling only Brazil and Argentine flags, which are fans' favourite.
"I've other flags. But they don't sell. People are crazy about Brazil and Argentina. In the past 15 days, I've sold more than 3,000 flags of the two nations," he said.
Hawkers are not the only ones who are cashing in on the flag business. Tailors are working day and night to fulfill orders while small garment factories have temporarily switched to sewing of flags to boost their flagging revenue.
At Star Sports, Tailor F Hossain Titu hadn't had sleep for weeks as his small shop -- a maker of players' jerseys -- are busily cutting and sewing flags of World Cup teams.
"I used to curse myself because the last few years I did not make enough money. Domestic soccer is not doing well and the fans these days hardly buy jerseys of Abahani and Mohammedan," Titu, 35, said.
Anwar Ahmed's small garment factory used to make T-shirt, sub-contracting from bigger manufacturers. But in the past one year his business bled profusely after the country's apparel export got a hammering due to the global recession.
"The last one month, I am just sewing flags for some wholesalers who sell World Cup flags all over the country. It's great business. The workers are happy that they'll get salaries in due time next month," Ahmed said.
Unlike in the past, the craze for World Cup has also gripped the countryside with the villagers proudly fluttering their new-found allegiance over their tin-shed homes.
Sadhan Roy of Jhenidah said he is flying a 50-feet Argentine flag on a bamboo pole in his house. He loves Argentina and thinks it will finally end its Cup drought as Maradona is back in the team - albeit in the role of coach.
"Diego Maradona does not know how to lose. And we also have Lionel Messi, currently the world's best player. No team can beat us," he said.
Roy has spent Tk1100, a fourth of his monthly earning as a jewelry artisan, in the flag and he thinks the money was well-spent. "I am sure it'll pay dividend," he said.
His friend Kalipada Das feels Brazil will win again as Dunga - the 1994 World Cup winning captain of the Latin American giant -- knows the magic to win tournament.
"We may not have Ronaldinho this time. But Kaka is there and also Robinho. I read in the newspapers that Brazil has the best defence and offence," he said.
Kalipada flies a small four-feet flag over his one-storied house. He has also bought and distributed more than a dozen Greens and Yellows to fellow Brazilian fans.
Roy and Kalipada's passion for the Cup may border on insanity. But to thousands of small time hawkers and tailors, it's a business sent from heaven.