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Players in action during the rugby tournament on the ITC lawns on Saturday. Picture by Rashbehari Das
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Cries of “gooooo!”, “touch” and “score” filled the ITC lawns on Saturday morning as the seventh edition of Jungle Crows’ Corporate Touch Rugby Tournament saw enthusiasts of the game battling it out.
The warm March morning notwithstanding, the players of all 14 teams took to the ground with passion. The lawns turned into a mini-battleground as supporters cried their lungs out.
For the players, the 10 minutes allotted for each game was business fused with fun as they displayed their sprints, dives and touches and tried their best to stop the opponent from scoring.
The players were a mixed bag of pros and amateurs but their credentials did not matter as it was more about enjoying the game. “For us, it is all about giving people a day full of fun. We want them to come together and immerse themselves in the spirit of the game,” said Paul Walsh, a former British diplomat and the founder of Jungle Crows.
The Crows played an exhibition match before the semi-finals and the Khelo Rugby children demonstrated their exceptional skills.
Edusol won the Bowl final while Team IIHM won the Plate. Decathlon reigned supreme, defeating Terra Indica to win the Cup final. “Winning is special. This tournament is almost like a get-together where we keep meeting each other every year,” said Decathlon’s Sunil Biswas as he posed with his team and the trophy.
The prizes were given away by Sanjay Wadvani, the British deputy high commissioner, Zubin Songadwala, the general manager of ITC Sonar, and Hasan Iqbal, the chairman of Jungle Crows.
Terra Indica’s Charlotte “We fought hard but could not win. We did have a lot of fun though,” the French beauty smiled in between going shutter-happy.
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