The State League

I don’t play football; I don’t even watch football.
Despite that, I was sucked into yet another brilliant book by Mallika Ravikumar – The State League.
To be fair, considering how much I have enjoyed nearly everything she’s written, I expected to enjoy this one too. What I didn’t bargain for was how unputdownable the book would be, drawing me into its drama, emotion and layering.

Prithvi from The District Cup is back. He’s now being trained at Elite Sports F.C. in football-crazy Goa. He’s talented, ambitious and hardworking–all characteristics that ought to stand him in good stead as the world of football rolls open before him.

But bring in age-cheating and match fixing, and the picture grows ugly. First with bewilderment and then with utter shock, Prithvi discovers how murky the world of betting is, and how far-reaching. Match fixing isn’t restricted to huge matches with big stakes. It’s happening right before him, in tiny local matches being played by obscure teams.

Mallika Ravikumar weaves together a range of themes to present a sensitive, layered story. Set against the backdrop of the violence in Manipur, she shows us that match fixing is far more complex than it seems. When manipulators tap into the vulnerabilities of young children, who really is to blame? The child who accepts 20k to let a goal in, or all those who cash in on illegal betting?

In a story rich with metaphors, we look at the multi-faceted world of sport.
“Football” is more relevant than “women’s football”.
Optics are more important than ethics.
Manipur is a powerhouse for Indian football, but most players can’t even name its capital.

Hard-hitting and compelling, The State League is an eye-opening read that beautifully handles heavy themes with the lightest possible touch. Through Prithvi, we feel the lure of the game, the excitement and the magic. And it is the thrill of the sport that keeps us reading all the way till the very last page.

Last year, Mallika Ravikumar did a wonderful workshop for us on writing creative nonfiction. Here are some books of hers that I’ve read and loved:

• The Case of the Vanishing Gods
• The Case of the Mysterious Witches
• The Battle for Baramulla