HT GIFA 2019: Akshay Kumar inaugurates season 5 of Delhi-NCR’s biggest neighbourhood football tournament

Actor Akshay Kumar on Saturday inaugurated the fifth season of HT GIFA, Delhi-NCR’s biggest neighbourhood football tournament, at the Thyagaraj Sports Complex in New Delhi. Akshay, the event’s ambassador, encouraged fans to pursue sports, and said that he is a keen sportsman himself.

“Whatever field you go in, keep sports close to your heart,” he said, amid a rapturous crowd. “No matter how much acting I do.” Akshay added, “I feel elated to come to GIFA because it’s something that’s closest to my heart.”

Akshay also watched videos submitted by fans, and picked five lucky fans from the crowd and brought them up on stage. With over 1,750 team registrations this season, and more than 450 teams that battled it out on the field in the pre-qualifiers over the course of two weekends, the latest season of HT GIFA has been a hit already.

Besides Akshay, the opening ceremony also saw performances by Delhi-based Hindi band Astitva, Suraj’s Zenith Dance Troupe, and DJ Sumit Sethi. TV actor Rithvik Dhanjani hosted the opening ceremony.

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First Published: Sep 28, 2019 19:47 IST