CHENNAI: Chennaiyin FC’s 2-2 draw against Delhi Dynamos on Sunday denied them the opportunity to go top. But that did not stop their star striker Jeje Lalpekhlua to take some time off and relax. On Monday, Jeje along with Rene Mihelic was present at the Jawaharlal Nehru indoor stadium to watch Chennai Smashers take on Bengaluru Blasters in the Premier Badminton League.
The organisers were a little worried as they found it difficult to accommodate Jeje and Co since most of the VIP seats were already occupied. Among other guests were film stars Suriya and Jyothika and chief national coach Pullela Gopichand. The security too had a tough time dealing with fans and their selfie requests. But Jeje still managed to stand out. Such is the popularity of the Mizo lad. Fans who were seated behind were shouting at the top of their voices to get a glimpse of their hero. And Jeje did not reply in negative once. He stood there patiently and clicked pictures with almost everyone.
While everyone knows what Jeje is capable of in front of the goal, a friend who was accompanying him said that he is a good badminton player too. His passion for the game was confirmed when he was jumping up and down when PV Sindhu was playing Bengaluru Blasters’ Kirsty Gilmour. “I still play badminton. I used to play a lot before I became a footballer. It’s a fast game and very exciting to watch. During off-season, it helps me keep fit. But this is the first time I am seeing a match live and it is great. Our next game is at home and we are playing Pune City FC. That’s happening on Saturday and me and the boys had some time to kill and that’s when we decided to come here,” Jeje said.
However, Jeje and boys did not wait for all the matches to finish. With a long season ahead, the stars headed back to the hotel to rest themselves before the crucial match against Pune.
Gabrielle leaves India
Gabrielle Adcock of Chennai Smashers left for London on Monday and will not feature for the franchise again after injuring her ankle in the Lucknow leg. The unfortunate incident happened during Chennai’s mixed-doubles match against Delhi Dashers. The extent of injury is still unknown. But organisers have confirmed that it is serious and she will be facing a long time on the sidelines.
Monday’s results
Chennai Smashers bt Bengaluru Blasters 3-2 | MD: Yang Lee/B Sumeeth Reddy bt Mathias Boe/Kim Sa Rang (T) 8-15, 15-14, 15-13; WS: PV Sindhu (T) bt Kirsty Gilmour 15-9, 15-14; MS: Tanongsak Saensomboonsuk lost to Viktor Axelsen 11-15, 15-6, 9-15; MS: Brice Leverdez lost to Subhankar Dey 12-15, 12-15; XD: Chris Adcock/PV Sindhu lost to N Sikki Reddy/Kim Sa Rang 14-15, 11-15.
T denotes trump match
vimalsankar@newindianexpress.com