An official with Myanmar Premier League team, Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation, tries a France jersey for size at the Winner International Sport Service shop in downtown Yangon last week. Looking on are the team manager, U Kyi Maung (right), and striker, Htwe Maung.

MYANMAR is in the grip of Euro 2004 fever, as millions of football fans throughout the country stay up late to watch live broadcasts of the games from Portugal.

Broadcasts on MRTV-1 have enabled most fans to watch the games at home, while others have been cheering the action at hotels, teashops and other venues.

 

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Subscribers to the Myanmar Media Box subscription service on MRTV-4 have the advantage of watching the games with Myanmar-language commentary.

Sports journals are providing saturation coverage of the 31-game tournament, which is also being widely covered in newspapers. Some publications have printed special guides packed with information about the 16 teams and their players.

Meanwhile, retailers have reported a sharp rise in sales of team jerseys and souvenirs.

Sales of jerseys of the teams that enjoy the greatest popularity among Myanmar fans – England, France, Italy and Portugal – are up by at least 10 per cent.

“We’ve run out of England jerseys,” said Ko Thi Han Sein, an owner of the Winner International Sport Service shop on Maha Bandoola Park Street, one of the biggest sport equipment and accessories retailers in Yangon.

“Young people and amateur football clubs have been stocking up on merchandise linked to their favourite teams,” said Ko Thi Han Sein.

Among the fans sporting a new jersey is university student Ko Zaw Naing, who has no doubt which team will win the championship.

“I’m a Beckham fan, so it’s England all the way,” Ko Zaw Naing said.

For Myanmar Premier League team Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation it’s France all the way. The team will don the colours of the French team for an Opening League Cup game against Ruby Dragon at Aung San Stadium on June 22.

While the broadcasts on MRTV-1 have resulted in a jump in sales of televisions, they have affected sales of sport journals since the tournament began.

U Zin Min Maung, the chief editor of one of Myanmar’s most popular sport journals, First Eleven, said sales had risen ahead of the tournament but had eased since it began.

“The sales of sport journals used to increase by up to 10 per cent when there were international competitions, but sales of First Eleven have been stable since Euro 2004 started,” said U Zin Min Maung. He said a similar situation applied to sister publication, Premier Eleven.

Hotels, small cinemas, beer stations and other venues that screen football matches also say that they are attracting fewer fans because many people prefer to watch the championships at home.

The Asia Plaza and Central hotels have traditionally been among the most popular venues in downtown Yangon for watching international football games, but both say audience numbers are down sharply.

However, the broadcasts have been good for business at teashops, especially those on Yangon’s outskirts. Some teashop owners say business is up by about 40 per cent.