Kolkata: Kolkata is already preparing for the FIFA World Cup to be staged in Doha, Qatar from November 20. Despite India being nowhere near the World Cup qualification, there's one thing this time that will make Bengal proud, and eventually, it will be India's pride.
The major portion of the meat to be consumed during the football extravaganza will be supplied from Kolkata. Besides football, this is going to open up a big business option, not only in Qatar but in other European nations as well.
The West Bengal Livestock Development Corporation Limited under the Department of Livestock Development of the state government is responsible for exporting meat to Qatar.
The company, which is under the state government, has already received clearance from the Centre for foreign trade. An employee of the company, wishing to remain anonymous, said that the meat will be from Haringhata. "But when and to what extent, those details are still to be chalked out.
Despite India not featuring in World Cup football, Indian football fans cannot stay away from the meat," he added.
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A few months ago, Qatar started collecting tickets for the World Cup. If records are anything to go by, about 24,000 tickets were picked up by Indians. Whether India will have a chance to play in the World Cup arena in the near future is a far-fetched question though.
During the FIFA World Cup, Qatar is going to be the shelter for football lovers from across the world. Millions of people will congregate in Doha later this month and they will be welcomed with meat from Bengal.
For the record, about 1 metric ton of goat meat is being exported in the first shipment on Thursday itself. According to sources, the meat will be supplied as per demand by Qatar. The meat will not only be supplied to Qatar, but also to other countries in the Middle East. The nitty gritty is still being worked out to titillate the taste buds of football lovers from across the globe.
