Goosebumps! Indian national anthem rings around Qatar's Ahmad bin Ali Stadium in AFC Asian Cup match vs Australia

The Jana Gana Mana reverberated around the Ahmed Bin Ali Stadium in Al Rayyan, Qatar on Saturday as the Igor Stimac-coached India men’s football team began their AFC Asian Cup campaign against Australia. Thanks to the thriving Indian diaspora the world over, various Indian sporting teams get to enjoy home-like support even if they are thousands of miles away from home. The kind of support that the Indian cricket teams have become fairly used to over the years whether they play a match in the United Kingdom or in Australia, South Africa and other parts of the world. It’s no different in the Gulf, with Qatar having an Indian population of up to 700,000, many of whom showed up for the Blue Tigers’ opening game of the continental showpiece event on Saturday. The home-like support was especially evident when the two teams sang their respective national anthems ahead of kickoff. Sunil Chhetri and Co sang the Indian national anthem along with thousands of fans in the stands, the sight of which would have had many an Indian swelling with pride. Watch:

The healthy presence of Indian supporters at the Al Rayyan Stadium did give the Indian team a mental boost, and it reflected in the manner with which they resolutely defended against the ‘Socceroos’, who had won the Asian Cup in 2015 and have been making regular appearances in the FIFA World Cup since 2006. Despite Australia being placed much higher than them on the FIFA rankings, India will hope to take them by surprise and hold them to a draw, or even pull off a victory that would be considered an upset for the ages.