India may be ranked a lowly 117^th and not be represented at the 18^th football World Cup, but the country's top citizens won't be missing the action.

A day after notching an exclusive first by flying on a Sukhoi fighter jet, President A P J Abdul Kalam will on Friday lead the nation in watching the World Cup football.

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According to Rashtrapati Bhavan sources, President Kalam, who is currently in Secunderabad at the exclusive retreat Neelyam, will watch the opening ceremony and some parts of the opening tie between Germany and Costa Rica.

Lok Sabha speaker Somnath Chatterjee, currently in London, will catch the action during his stay in Britain.

Chatterjee, who will also be traveling to Germany in the last week of the finals, may see some of the important matches live.

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Information and Broadcasting Minister and All India Football Association president Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi will also be watching the games. He declined to say whether he will go to Germany.

Former cricketer and Bharatiya Janata Party MP Navjot Singh Sidhu has said no matter what happens, he is not going to miss a single match.

Sidhu said he would rather lose sleep than miss a match. "It is a grand event and who wants to miss it," he said.

Another former cricketer and BJP MP Chetan Chauhan said he will back Brazil and Germany.