The city’s thirst for sports as entertainment was sated once again on Friday as the Premier Futsal tournament kicked off in the southern metro for the first time in the country.
It was an absolutely star-studded event, with renowned footballers and entertainers taking the stage, and football-crazy fans of Chennai rushing to take seats for the inaugural event. After a scintillating opening by Chennai’s own musical wizard A.R. Rahman, it was time for the big guys of football to take centre stage. Mumbai took on Chennai in the first match, followed by Goa versus Kolkata, later.
The Jawaharlal Nehru indoor stadium reverberated with the chants of ‘Rinho, Rinho,’ as Brazil football legend Ronaldinho entered to participate in the futsal match on Friday.
The tournament, a shorter version of football, having five players in each team, saw stars like Figo, Giggs, Pula, and Ronaldinho playing for the local clubs.
On Thursday, M. Kumaran, a local football player and a fan of the Brazilian soccer team, had his lifetime wish of seeing a World Cup-winning Brazilian football player fulfilled by watching Ronaldinho enter the stadium.
The futsal matches will be held in Chennai for three days.
