The Sunday afternoon heat did not deter hundreds of fans from gathering on the Marina and Besant Nagar beaches to watch the cricket World Cup final between India and Australia. Giant screens had been arranged at these locations by the Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu (SDAT) and the Greater Chennai Corporation. The result of the low-scoring match, however, took away their excitement.
Guru Krishnakumar, of Ambattur, who came to the Besant Nagar beach, said the match was worth watching on a large screen. “We would usually get together as a large group of friends at one of our homes. One atti [a group of friends] would have 20-30 guys. Since my father is also a fan, we would manage to gather at my house and enjoy matches,” he said.
S. Sathish Kumar, of Porur, who works at an IT company at Sholinganallur and had come as part of team outing, said he and his colleagues stayed on at Besant Nagar to watch the match. “This is a nice spot to watch matches. There is good food available, and with the sea breeze, it is a fun spot. The Corporation should arrange large screens at more locations, like local grounds and parks, for tournaments matches such as IPL. This would motivate more people to take up sports,” he said.
