CHENNAI: In the thriving heart of Chennai’s Intellion Park, excitement reaches new heights as the Intellion Futsal League Season 3 kicked off its inauguration on Wednesday. With top teams from Amazon, Google, Pepsi, Vistara, GSK, etc., the Ramanujan Intellion Park was brimming with the spirits of the corporate footies.
Seizing to infuse a vibrant atmosphere at the workplace, Tata Realty & Infrastructure Ltd glorifies football as a corporate sport of goals across the four parks of Chennai, Mumbai, Gurugram, and Bengaluru. Adding a touch of flair to the game, the league welcomed Tanisha Gupta, a freestyle footballer to grace the event with her dazzling skills and agile performance.
Born in Punjab, Tanisha started her football journey at the tender age of eight. Inspired by Aghuska, a five-time world champion and Guinness world record holder, Tanisha trained herself by playing with male players at Kendriya Vidyalaya. Relocating to Gujarat due to her father’s professional transfer, she embraced freestyle football in her teens and stood as the lone female enthusiast in her school’s football arena. Her decision to choose freestyle marked the inception of a unique and inspiring football odyssey.
She says, “I learned freestyle football from YouTube during the pandemic as I had no one to practice with. Throughout the journey, I’ve focused on mastering both upper and lower skills of freestyle.” After completing schooling, Tanisha is currently in Pune for college.
Earning the 32nd rank at the World Freestyle Football Championship in 2021, the young enthusiast is known for her stunning skills in juggling and solidifying her exceptional talent on the global stage. Performing in Chennai for the first time, she says, “I’ve seen Tamil Nadu to be extremely supportive towards soccer and I’m excited to connect with my Southern fans who have been a significant part of my journey.”
Innovative, sustainable extravaganza
In addition to being a celebration filled with cheers and high spirits, the league stands as a beacon of innovation in sports, embracing a commitment to exquisite and distinctive sustainability initiatives, including medals of natural coconut shells, eschewing non-biodegradable flex branding, and minimising plastic usage.
The inaugural spectacle also welcomed the presence of esteemed players from Chennaiyin FC, the professional football club of Chennai, including Ryan Edwards, Ninthoinganba Meetei, and Romario Jesuraj who graced the occasion by engaging in an exhilarating exhibition match against the Amazon team, the seasoned champions. The league holds matches until Friday, promising an action-packed extravaganza that captivates fans and leaves a lasting imprint on the city’s sports scene.