AKKI LIGHTS UP HT GIFA’S OPENING CEREMONY

Games, contests, dazzling performances and oodles of entertainment with the biggest star in Bollywood — HT GIFA’s opening ceremony was lit like no other!

Apulsating display of next-level fandom for football was on showcase at Delhi-NCR’s biggest neighbourhood football tournament, Ambience Group presents Hindustan Times Great Indian Football Action (HT GIFA). The grand opening ceremony of the fifth season kicked off in style at Delhi’s Thyagaraj Sports Complex, with Bollywood superstar Akshay Kumar in attendance. “Meri zindagi ki sabse aham cheez hai sports,” Akshay declared to thousands of cheering fans. He greeted the young khiladis with an important message: “You guys are the future of India, whether in sports, science or technology. Aap kisi bhi field mein jayein, sports ko apne paas rakhna.” The evening took an exciting turn as the actor engaged in fun-filled activities with the audience members. Five lucky kids from the audience got to compete against the Khiladi, in the Crazy for Football Quiz, conducted by Sonal Kalra, managing editor – entertainment and lifestyle, Hindustan Times. Breaking boiled and raw eggs on their heads, a quirky egg roulette competition also took place between lucky audience members and Akshay. Each winner took home a cash prize of `25,000. The winners of the #HTGIFAKeKhiladi contest, too, impressed Akshay with their freestyling skills and received autographed footballs from him.

The evening also saw a display of mesmerising performances. Rock band Astitva’s electrifying act gave a rocking spin to the evening, and the crowd reciprocated the love. “It’s amazing to see football players tapping their feet and screaming. One could probably hear them outside the stadium, too,” laughed guitarist Zaman Khan.

Boasting some of the finest dancers in the country, the semi-classical and western dance group, Suraj’s Zenith Dance Troupe captivated the audience with an array of acts. TV actor Rithvik Dhanjani, meanwhile, played the perfect host for a second time, ensuring truckloads of entertainment and fun. “There is a massive amount of talent locally. We’ve never had the exposure that we are now getting. And HT is doing that for the budding talent of our country,” he says.

The excitement doesn’t end here — the league matches start next weekend (October 5 and 6) at CWG Village Sports Complex, Delhi, and Ambience Public School, Sector 43, Gurugram.

PHOTOS: HTBS Actor Akshay Kumar cheers on the young footballing talent from the city at HT GIFA’s grand opening ceremony. A known sports enthusiast, the actor kicked autographed footballs straight at the roaring crowd, and those who caught ’em, got to keep them Above: Akshay Kumar smashes a raw egg on his head during the egg roulette, with the other participants — Kartikeya Barai, Vaishnavi Bhushan, Jyoti Khurana, Bhupinder Singh and Mahipal Singh Rawat. Below: A snapshot of the audience L-R: Guitarist Zaman Khan, vocalist Salman Khan and bassist Amit James of the band Astitva rocked the stage with a medley of retro Bollywood tracks and their hit singles L-R: Winners of #HTGIFAKeKhiladi — Neeraj Chawla, Animesh Mishra and Mohd Arsh — impressed Akshay with their freestyle skills and received footballs autographed by the actor

Suraj’s Zenith Dance Troupe gave the evening plenty of Bollywood tadka with their performances on numbers such as Morni Banke and Aankh Marey

L-R: Akshay Kumar poses with the winners of the quiz — Suhani Varshney, Anish Sharma, Ranesh Chandna, Mahi Gupta and Chanchal Tewatia

A young fan impersonates Akshay Kumar ahead of the latter’s grand entry at the opening ceremony