Kerala and Karnataka are going the extra mile to keep football fans happy.

While the Kerala government declared a holiday on Monday (July 20) for all schools and higher educational institutions in view of the FIFA World Cup final, Karnataka government has granted special permission for hotels and restaurants to remain open till 3.30 am to facilitate live screening of the match.

According to officials in Kerala, the decision was taken after considering requests from students who are football enthusiasts and wished to watch the World Cup final on Sunday night.

General Education Minister N Samsudheen announced the holiday for schools through his social media accounts. “Happy now, children?” the minister wrote.

“Considering the request of students who are football enthusiasts, the Kerala General Education Department has declared a holiday on Monday (July 20) for all schools under the department in view of the FIFA World Cup final to be played after midnight tonight,” he said.

Karnataka: Hotels open till 3.30 am

Meanwhile, Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Sunday said the government has granted special permission for hotels and restaurants to remain open till 3.30 am to facilitate live screening of the match.

However, the CM appealed to football lovers to remain patient and maintain peace while watching the FIFA World Cup final. “The police have installed cameras at various locations. Whoever wins, youngsters should not lose their patience. They should watch the football match peacefully,” Shivakumar said.

Meanwhile, Kerala state Higher Education Minister Roji M John also announced, in a social media post, a holiday for colleges and professional educational institutions on Monday.

“On the occasion of the FIFA World Cup final, as per the direction of the Chief Minister, a holiday is declared for higher education institutions in Kerala, including professional colleges on Monday,” he said.

He said that the holiday is being announced to provide our students with an opportunity to enjoy the World Cup final—which starts at 12:30 am IST—with full enthusiasm and to avoid any subsequent travel difficulties. “Let’s thoroughly enjoy the final!” he said.

Requests from political leaders

Earlier, CPI(M) leader and former Kerala Education Minister V Sivankutty had urged the state government to declare a holiday for all schools on Monday in view of the FIFA World Cup final between Argentina and Spain.

Sivankutty said the final, scheduled to begin late on Sunday night, was expected to continue into the early hours of Monday, making it difficult for students to reach schools on time.

Also read: Messi, Yamal and a World Cup final that feels like football’s passing of the torch

He also suggested that the lost working day could be compensated by declaring a Saturday, which is otherwise a holiday, as a working day. Several UDF leaders had also made similar requests for a holiday.

General Education Minister N Samsudheen, Higher Education Minister Roji M John and Sports Minister O J Janeesh are also known football enthusiasts and have regularly posted messages on social media expressing support for their favourite teams during the FIFA World Cup.

(With agency inputs)