Gulf News’ coverage of Pakistan’s victory over India in the ICC Champions Trophy final has gone viral.
By Monday morning, Facebook posts covering the match results and the celebrations that followed had reached 3.3 million users.
The posts received over 121,000 reactions, comments and shares, with a video of Pakistani fans celebrating in Dubai’s International City attracting more than 1,200 comments alone.
This video of celebrations in International City had received 500,000 views at the time of writing, with more than 1,200 people commenting.
“Congratulations to Pakistan.. If there was any day they could have beat India it was today and they did it well.. Hard luck to my Team India,” Facebook user Laali Bhai Aler Wale wrote.
Kainat Kiran wrote: “Congratulations my pakistani team very well played..Proud Pakistani champions.”
Most of the comments were made in the spirit of sportsmanship.
“Win or lose its a part of a game should respect each other and celebrate victory & hope to see new matches like this,” Imran Arshad posted.
Many comments poked fun at veteran actor Rishi Kapoor’s tweet before the game, in which he claimed India would win because June 18, the date of the game, is Father’s Day.
“We might not be this much if Indian media, cricketers and actors were not making fun of Pakistan. So who is the father now?” wrote Sarwat Malook Imran.
At the time of writing this video had reached 691,000 people, and received 885 comments.
Gulf News provided comprehensive coverage of the tournament on its desktop and mobile websites, mobile app, through social media and in print, complete with live audio commentary and analyses by chief cricket writer K.R. Nayar.
