HT GIFA kicks off with the spectacular performance of Akshay Kumar

by FC Admin September 28, 2016

Delhi witnessed the opening ceremony of Season 3 of GIFA (Great Indian Football Action).

Akshay Kumar shared his never ending love for sports with kids present with their families at the event.

27^th September 2016, New Delhi: The opening ceremony of the third season of Hindustan Times Great Indian Football Action (GIFA), Delhi-NCR’s biggest neigbourhood football tournament for kids, was held today at Thyagaraj Stadium. The event saw the presence of Bollywood’s fittest Superstar Akshay Kumar, known for his extraordinary spirit of adventure, fitness and sports.

Organized by the Hindustan Times Group, the event was also attended by the participating teams of young football players which begins from October 1^st, 2016. The previous two editions of the GIFA have successfully fostered fitness and harmony at the community level.

Sharing views on the tournament, Mr. Ashu Phakey, Business Head, HT Delhi said, “We wish best of luck to all participating teams and thank all of them and their guardians for their constant support. Above all, having Akshay Kumar to support our school of thought and highlight the importance of fitness through sports takes the enthusiasm a couple of notches higher”.

Speaking on the occasion, Akshay Kumar, said: “I want to do a film on kabaddi. It’s nice to see that the world is responding to this Indian game.”

With the idea of emphasizing on the importance of sports and fitness in the accelerating digital scenario, HT GIFA was Initiated in the year 2014, the first of its kind inter-locality football tournament which provides a platform for kids and families to step outside and have a chance to interact, stay fit and establish a connection with people in their area through sports.

To spice up the football training HT GIFA partnered with Arsenal Soccer Schools. This year the event was open to teams from Delhi, Gurgaon, Noida and Ghaziabad. There has been a number of online contests raising the bar up to 2300 registrations. The contest provided a next level platform for kids under the senior and junior category. The matches will be conducted across 2 weekends in a knockout format with 7 players each side while each match will last for 30 minutes. The champions will be crowned at the closing ceremony.

In the last season, across Delhi and Gurgaon, 459 teams participated in HT GIFA. Owing to the growing popularity, in third season the tournament was made open to kids from Gurgaon, Delhi, Noida and Ghaziabad as well.

About HT GIFA

HT GIFA (Great Indian Football Action) is Delhi NCR’s and in fact currently, the country’s biggest neighbourhood football tournament for kids. HT GIFA is open to kids from class 5th-8th in the Junior category and 9th-12th in the Senior category. It was started 2 years ago in Gurgaon as an effort on part of Hindustan Times to bring the community together and encourage a healthy outdoor lifestyle.