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It isn't uncommon for commentators to be extremely vocal while describing moments of a match. Anyone who regularly watches either the Premier League or La Liga will be familiar with commentators losing their minds when an insane goal is struck or an exquisite play is made.
Usually, though, the commentators are either Arabic, English, Spanish or even American. Rarely has a commentator from India been known for a memorable bit of commentary when it comes to football.
Enter Shaiju Damodaran. This Malayalee commentator from the south of India became a viral sensation last week, after his commentary bit following Cristiano Ronaldo's stunning free-kick against Spain in the first game of the group stages of the World Cup 2018 caused the internet to erupt in wonder.
Here's some context for those of you who haven't chanced upon the footage yet:
Truly memorable, eh?
Over the past week, Damodaran has become somewhat of an online celebrity and has reportedly been receiving plenty of messages from fans and friends alike. Speaking to Sportstar about his rise to fame, the Malayalee commentator said:
“I've been getting so many calls and my phone is buzzing with messages, but frankly, I don't think I did anything extraordinary. I'm a professional commentator and this is part of my job. I'm just a guy who likes to talk. I've loved to talk since childhood and I simply do the same in the commentary box”
The 45-year old is no novice when it comes to commentary, having covered multiple cricket leagues in India and also having recently covered the ISL. Damodaran has been received well in the past, although nothing of this magnitude has happened to him yet.
"Every season, one or two of my clips go viral, but mostly only with Malayalis. One of the most memorable incidents was during season 3 of the ISL, when the semifinal between Kerala Blasters and Delhi Dynamos went into a penalty shootout. Kerala won 3-0 and I spoke about how Steve Coppel and Sachin Tendulkar had created a stellar team by using lines from the popular Malayalam song Poomaram. This was very well-received and went viral among Malayalis.”
“The difference between that instance and the Ronaldo clip is that this video went viral across the country because it has Cristiano Ronaldo in it. The World Cup is a global event and thus it's getting more attention.”
Damodaran also revealed that he's inspired by none other than English commentator Ray Hudson, and would love to cover football matches from the Premier League and La Liga.
"It would certainly be a dream come true for me”, he says.
