For some frothy fun

The minute you get onto the soapy floor, you start laughing. It is never going to be a serious game as you are constantly sliding, slipping and falling. ‘Soap football’ is the kind of game which is believed to bring people closer.

A sport designed for people of all ages with zero experience in football, soap football is catching on among Bengalureans. The format was invented in Brazil where football lovers spiced up the game with soap. Combining the fun of water, the unpredictability of soap and the excellence of football in one game, the game promises to be all-round fun.

The field is made of multi-coloured polyester, defined by an inflatable edge and a soft-bedded floor, which makes it practically impossible for injuries.

At present, there is only venue in the city offering the sport — ‘Be-Live It Soap Football’ off Sarjapur Main Road. “The aim is to improve active lifestyle by giving importance to sports along with the blended element of fun,” says Salion Edward, one of the managing partners of the place.

“It was the idea of four friends — namely Jithu, Sundeep, Vibin and Glisen — who have played soap football in the Gulf. They felt that Bengaluru was the right place to launch a new sport and came up with ‘Be-Live It’. They started in 2015 and have been promoting the sport through social websites but it’s only this year that the sport started to gain popularity among Bengalureans. Youngsters, college students, corporate employees and families come to rejuvenate through the game,” adds Salion.

Rahul Lal, a group manager at Dell who has tried the sport, says, “Corporate life is stressful. With the odd working hours and transit woes, options to bring the team together are limited. Food outings only add to the waistline. I was looking for something which is fun, which we could do together as a team, enjoy and yet be healthy. I had tried soap football during one of my business travels to Brazil. When I saw the option available in Bengaluru, I grabbed the opportunity with my team and that was just the start of a fun-filled day for each of us.”

For Jack Kiran, a football player, soap football was a novel experience. “We had fun playing, scoring goals and sliding. The sport helps you build stamina and discover new ways of playing soccer. Since football is booming as a sport in India, there is great scope for soap football to flourish in the country. It just needs the right facilities and support,” says Jack.