Meet the Dynamos Ultras - Delhi Dynamos' most dedicated football fans

The Dynamos Ultras – cleaning the stands after the game

As the Delhi Dynamos defeated Chennaiyin FC in their first home game of this year’s edition of the Indian Super League, the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium also saw a record attendance of nearly 20,000 people for the game, a figure that was not reached for the entirety of the last campaign. Another ‘team’ that was making its home debut was the Dynamos Ultras – a group of dedicated Delhi Dynamos fans, who thronged the stands and cheered fervently for the home side.

From meeting on a Facebook group, the Ultras have come a long way and have garnered quite a lot of support from fellow Delhiites. Their aim is to become the franchise’s official fan club and help develop a strong football fan culture in the capital city.

This initiative was the brainchild of five dedicated supporters – Anant Basudev Shadangi, Ajay Poonia, Aakash Sundriyal, Himalaya and Nipun Sharma – a mix of professionals and students. Looking at the support for the home teams in Kerala and Kolkata, the Ultras aim to replicate and even better that level of passion, and over a period of time, shift focus from cricket to the beautiful game in the city.

For the first home game against Chennai, they distributed pamphlets, created banners and charts, along with a variety of chants for the entire team as well as players such as Roberto Carlos, Florent Malouda and Hans Mulder. Before the game, they were quite active in helping fans with tickets, directions to the stadium and clearing any doubts that they might have.

And to top it all, their ‘Clean the Stands’ initiative was well-received by everyone as the Ultras aim to fulfill their responsibilities of supporting the team as well as being model fans. This sends out a wonderful message to fans all over the country, especially after what happened in the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack a few days ago.

The season has just begun and Delhi’s next home game is against North East United FC, who also enjoy great support in the capital, on November 3. The Ultras are hard at work to gather support and engage more people in their efforts so that the game against the Highlanders is a memorable one. Both sets of supporters are expected to attend the game in large numbers and we hope to see the Jawahar Lal Nehru Stadium packed to its peak capacity. Preparations have begun and football fans all over Delhi and NCR are welcome to join the Ultras and become a part of their team’s fan base.

The Dynamos players thanking passionate supporters after the game

Dynamos Ultra encourage people to visit their facebook page and join them. You can also follow them on other social media platforms such as Twitter and Instagram, and become a part of the Ultras family. For football fans in Delhi, opportunities to support their local teams are far and few given the absence of a team from the capital in the I-League. This initiative will surely help in awakening interest for the game and help the fans get closer to their city’s team. Here’s wishing the Ultras all the very best for this season and beyond!