DYFI comes out against mandatory licensing for FIFA World Cup public screenings in Kerala
The Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) is strongly opposing a new mandatory licensing system for public screenings of FIFA World Cup matches in Kerala, arguing it commercialises football fandom and limits access for ordinary people.
The Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) is strongly opposing a new mandatory licensing system for public screenings of FIFA World Cup matches in Kerala, arguing it commercialises football fandom and limits access for ordinary people.
The Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) is strongly opposing a new mandatory licensing system for public screenings of FIFA World Cup matches in Kerala, arguing it commercialises football fandom and limits access for ordinary people.
Malappuram: The Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) has strongly opposed the mandatory licensing system introduced for public screenings of FIFA World Cup matches in Kerala, alleging that the measure commercialises football fandom and restricts access to the sport for ordinary people.
In a statement, DYFI Kerala State Committee Secretary and MLA V K Sanoj said Kerala is renowned for its passionate football culture, with fans across the state celebrating the sport irrespective of caste, religion, gender, or social background and he alleged that clubs, football fan groups, and community organisations are now being forced to pay substantial amounts—ranging from tens of thousands to several lakhs of rupees—to obtain licenses for organizing public screenings of World Cup matches.
He described the move as an attempt to turn even the collective joy of football supporters into a commercial enterprise.
According to the DYFI leader, public screenings have traditionally provided an opportunity for football lovers, particularly those from economically weaker sections, to come together and watch major tournaments free of cost. Restricting screenings to licensed venues, he argued, would effectively confine access to commercial spaces where viewers may have to purchase tickets.
Sanoj further claimed that FIFA's guidelines do not require special licenses for small, non-commercial public screenings. He pointed out that FIFA categorises ticket-free public screenings with fewer than 1,000 attendees as "standard non-commercial small-group public screenings," adding that the majority of public football screenings held in Kerala fall under this category.
Accusing corporate interests of attempting to profit from Kerala's football culture, Sanoj called on football fans across the state to unite against what he termed an unnecessary and commercially driven restriction on public screenings of FIFA World Cup matches.
DYFI has started a campaign through social media against the licensing system.