I am most passionate about Travel & Sports. The times when I have been able to combine these two passions have allowed me to make memories, which will last a lifetime. As I keep documenting my travels, I felt it was time to write about the various sports trips I have taken around the world -
Cricket Club of India, Mumbai - Kingfisher Airlines Tennis Open - 25.09.2007 - The tournament was headlined by Richard Gasquet and Lleyton Hewitt. Other notable players included Santoro, Somdev, Bopanna, Fognini, Troicki and Paul-Henri. The tournament was won by Gasquet after he defeated Rochus 6-3, 6-4 in the final.
Wankhede Stadium - 26.09.2007 (T20 World Cup) - The BCCI felicitation ceremony for the T20 World Cup winning team took place at Wankhede Stadium after they returned from South Africa. The stadium was chock a block full and even the Mumbai downpour could not prevent us from enjoying the moment with the victorious Indian team.
Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai - India vs Sri Lanka Test - December 2-6, 2009 - This was a super test match. Replying to Sri Lanka's first innings score of 393, India scored 726/9d thanks to a stunning 293 from Viru and an unbeaten 100 by the captain MSD. I remember how excited I was bunking office and running to Brabourne to watch Sehwag bat. He was one of my favourite players and I enjoyed watching him bat - you never had a dull moment when he was at the crease ! In the second innings, it was pure joy as Zak's fifer ensured we won the match easily and claimed the No. 1 spot in ICC Test Rankings for the first time. A classic "I was there when it happened" moment ! Watching the Indian stalwarts like Sachin, Dravid, Laxman, Sehwag, MSD, Zaheer Khan and Bhajji in action is something I will never forget - the only one missing in the list was my favourite Sourav "Dada" Ganguly.
Wankhede Stadium & DY Patil Stadium - Indian Premier League 2010 & 2011 - I attended a lot of IPL matches in 2010 & 2011 (DD, RCB, KKR, MI, CSK, RR, Kochi, Pune) and enjoyed a lot watching the stars playing an aggressive brand of cricket. One of my favourite moments was when Sachin Tendulkar cracked his only T20 century against Kochi Tuskers and my biggest disappointment was when Mumbai Indians lost the 2011 final to Chennai Super Kings.
Marine Drive, Mumbai - 03.04.2011 (ICC World Cup) - The victory celebrations at Marine Drive were incredible, after MSD hit the famous six over long on to win the 2011 world cup for India. We partied on the streets into the early hours of the morning and it was one unforgettable night - the only thing missing was the Indian players getting down from their team bus and partying with us !!!
Buddh International Circuit, Greater Noida - F1 Airtel Indian Grand Prix - October 28-30, 2011 - It was the first F1 grand prix to be held in India and the 60 lap race was won by Red Bull Racing's Sebestian Vettel as he led from start to finish. Jenson Button was second in his Mclaren, whereas Fernando Alonso was third in Ferrari. The race was special because I saw my all time favorite driver Michael Schumacher race in his Mercedes (unfortunately, not my beloved Ferrari), though he finished a lowly 12th. Narain Karthikeyan also raced in a HRT - Cosworth car, as he struggled to finish 22nd of the 24 drivers on track.
Dubai Tennis Championship, Dubai - 25.02.2013 - I was living in Bahrain and arranged a ticket for the first day of this tournament through a friend. This Dubai trip was purely to see one of my favorite sports persons of all time in the flesh. I watched RF survive a scare in the first set before he went on to beat Jaziri of Tunisia 5-7, 6-0, 6-2 in the first round. I had one of the best seats in the house, getting a ringside view of his anticipation and movements before he executed his powerful forehands and jaw dropping backhands. After the match, I saw him sign autographs at an arm's length from me and it felt like I was in heaven. Earlier in the evening, I also saw Novak Djokovic combine with his brother Marko Djokovic in doubles and play his trademark shots in a first round match they lost 6-4, 3-6, 4-10 to N. Davydenko & Dick Norman.
Bahrain International Circuit, Sakhir - Bahrain F1 Grand Prix, April 19-21, 2013 - Contested over 57 laps, it was the last day time grand prix to be held in Bahrain. Sebastien Vettel of Red Bull won the race, followed by the Lotus drivers Kimi Raikkonen and Romain Grosjean. I was in Bahrain from 2012 to 2014 and was following off the track developments keenly, as there was some uncertainty regarding the event due to public protests against the government (2011 event was cancelled and 2012 event went ahead despite attempts to disrupt the race). In the end, the race went off smoothly and it was a good experience during the weekend as I got much closer to the teams and the pit lane.
Abu Dhabi F1 Race Track - November 2013 - Though I did not attend the F1 race, I visited the place during my trip to Abu Dhabi on the race weekend. the race was won by the Red Bull driver Sebestian Vettel.
Khalifa Stadium, Doha - Real Madrid vs Paris Saint-Germain (Football Friendly) - 02.01.2014 - The European giants played a prestige friendly in Doha, arranged by PSG's Qatari owners during Real's winter break. I was fortunate enough to attend the same - in fact, it was a birthday gift to myself. Jese Rodriguez scored the winner for Madrid as they won 1-0. I was very happy to see one of my favorites Cristiano Ronaldo in action. There were stars all around the pitch - Ibrahimovic, Cavani, Isco, Benzema, Modric among others (Bale missed out due to injury).
Bahrain International Circuit, Sakhir - Bahrain F1 Grand Prix, April 4-6, 2014 - It was the first night time race in Bahrain. The race was won by Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton, followed by his teammate Nico Rosberg and Force India driver Sergio Perez. It was a stunning race from start to finish, with great overtaking and battles through the entire field. I remember the battle between between the two Merc drivers and since I was in the Turn 1 stand, I had an awesome view of the attempts by both drivers to outdo each other. Also, there were various signs expressing solidarity with Michael Schumacher (my all time favorite driver), who was in a coma since his accident in December 2013. I also had photos taken with various drivers including the 2016 champion Nico Rosberg.
Arthur Ashe Stadium, New York - October 2016 - I visited the world's largest tennis stadium at USTA National Tennis Center, Flushing Meadows after the US Open had finished in September. The 2016 edition was won by Stan Wawrinka and Angelique Kerber (last edition for one of my favorites Ana Ivanovic).
Prudential Center, New Jersey - New Jersey Devils vs Minnesotta Wild (NHL) - 22.10.2016 - It was my first game of Ice Hockey and I was thrilled. The home team won 2-1 in an entertaining game. If I had not come back to India in November, I would have loved to attend more games in the National Hockey League.
Yankee Stadium, New York - New York City FC vs Columbus FC (MLS) - 24.10.2016 - NYCFC won 4-1 and the match was played at a decent level, considering I was more used to the frantic pace of EPL. It was memorable for me as I saw Andrea Pirlo and David Villa in their element, even though they were at the fag end of their careers. The icing on the cake was the injury time goal by Villa, another proof why he is one of the best Spanish strikers of all time.
Citi Field, New York - 26.10.2016 - It is a baseball park located in Flushing Meadows, NYC. It is the home of New York Mets of Major League Baseball. As the Mets had already played their last game on Oct 6th, I did not get the opportunity to attend their home game in this iconic stadium.
M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore - India vs Australia Test - 05.03.2017 - This was a thrilling test match, another reminder of why I love India Australia matches so much. India were bundled out for 189 on day 1 and thanks to Jadeja's 6/63, we were able to restrict them to 276 in their first innings. As I left for Coimbatore, I did not have much hope when India set the Aussies a target of 188 to win the test match and take an unbeatable 2-0 lead in the 4 match series. But, Ashwin's 6/41 ensured that we won the test match and squared the series. It was the turning point, as we went on to win the test series 2-1.
Karnataka State Lawn Tennis Association, Bangalore - India vs Uzbekistan (Davis Cup Tennis) - 08.04.2017 - It was the second day of the 3 day Davis Cup tie. Rohan Bopanna and Sriram Balaji beat Dustov and Fayziev 6-2, 6-4, 6-1 to give us an unassailable 3-0 lead in the rubber after Ramkumar and Prajnesh had won their first singles matches on day 1. This was Bhupathi's debut tie as a non playing captain and the win secured India's qualification into the World Group playoffs.
Sree Kanteerava Stadium, Bengaluru - Bengaluru FC vs Aizawl FC (I-League) - 09.04.2017 - I was very excited to attend this match, for 3 reasons - Sunil Chhetri, the exciting Aizawl FC team which was on its way to win the I-League (a classic underdog story like Leicester FC winning the EPL in 2016) and to witness the passionate atmosphere generated by the home fans. Sitting with the West Block Blues, as the BFC fans call themselves, was a delight. The match itself was a cagey affair, with Jugovic scoring a goal in the 94th minute to win the match 1-0 for Bengaluru. I was disappointed by Aizawl's loss, as I rooting for them to win the title. Thankfully, this defeat did not matter in the end as they lifted the trophy on April 30th after an excruciatingly tense 1-1 draw with Shillong Lajong.
Etihad Stadium, Manchester (07.05.2017) - It is the home of Manchester City FC. Even though it is enemy territory, I felt I had to go there and see the stadium.
Old Trafford, Manchester - Manchester United Stadium Tour - 07.05.2017 - My first visit to one stadium I wanted to visit desperately for a long long time. The entire tour was a dream come true and I felt so lucky to visit the place. As United were playing away at Arsenal on the day, I got an empty slot for the tour. I landed in Manchester early morning and during the entire flight, I was hoping the flight lands on time so that I don't miss this tour. Thankfully, everything went well and I had a gala time visiting the dressing rooms, museum full of trophies and medals, press conference room, Sir Alex Ferguson Stand, the Stretford End and the tunnel which led to the stadium pitch. I got my photos taken in most places and indulged in all the shopping I could afford. I could not help but think of all the memories and magical moments I associated with this very special place, as I followed the fortunes of the Red Devils on TV for so many years. A few years back, I had got my photo taken in a mock Manchester United home dug out in a Viva store (one of MUFC's sponsors) in Bahrain. Little did I know then that I would get an actual photo like this. The visit gladdened my heart no end and there were moments when I became really emotional. As I left the stadium after having the time of my life, I wished that this trip is the first of many trips - "Take me Home United Road" !
Stamford Bridge, London - 11.05.2017 - It is the home of Chelsea Football Club. Their final home matches were scheduled for the week after I visited London and hence, I missed out on a glorious chance to see the season's title winners in action.
Lord's Cricket Ground, London - 2017 & 2018 - For some, it is the home of cricket and it is a special place, for sure. I have been to the stadium a few times but wasn't lucky enough to get a match day ticket.
Signal Iduna Park, Dortmund - 2017 & 2018 - This iconic stadium of Borussia Dortmund was on my bucket list for a long time. I visited the stadium twice and during my second visit in December 2018, I was lucky enough to get an opportunity for a stadium tour at the last available time slot. I had goosebumps at multiple occasions during the tour and it remains, to this day, one of my favorite sports trips. It was so exciting to visit the dressing rooms, sit in the home dugout and walk around the stands including the world famous "Yellow Wall" (one of the most spectacular sights in football). The biggest spine-tingling moment was when I exited the dark tunnel and walked towards the pitch, with pre-recorded crowd chants accompanying my every step. I now understand what Klopp meant when he said "to exit the dark tunnel and come out into the stadium is to be reborn." I was absolutely pumped and I could only imagine what the players must be feeling as they enter the battleground, with the 81000 odd spectators going bonkers. One of the best sights in world football is to see the BVB fans creating a raucous atmosphere for every home match and singing "You'll never Walk Alone". As BVB matches are almost always full houses, I have never been able to get my hands on the match day ticket.
Wembley Stadium, London - 28.08.2017 - It hosts the home matches of the England national football team. Its famous arch is an eye catcher & ensures one can spot the stadium from a long way away. As it hosted the FA Cup Final every year and all teams slogged all through the season to reach "promised land", I held Wembley with something of reverential awe.
Anfield, Liverpool - 29.08.2017 - It was a stadium tour of Liverpool Football Club. Even though it is enemy territory for every MUFC supporter, I wanted to get an inside look of one of the biggest clubs in the world.
Goodison Park, Liverpool - 29.08.2017 - After visiting the home of LFC, it was time to cross over to the home of their Merseyside rivals Everton Football Club. The distance between the two stadiums is 1.4 kms (or 3169 feet, to be exact). There is a point from which, you can view both the stadiums and I tried to capture it, as best as I could, through a panoramic shot. I found it incredibly fascinating how one photograph can capture the incredible divide that exists within a city.
King Power Stadium, Leicester - 30.08.2017 - I wanted to visit the stadium after Leicester City FC had won the Premier League title in 2015-16. Sadly, there were no home matches during the time I was there.
MAC Stadium, Chepauk, Chennai - India vs Australia ODI - 17.09.2017 - It was one day cricket and T20 rolled into one. I feared the worst when India, batting first, lost half the side for 87 runs - the whole stadium was stunned into silence when Virat Kohli was out for a duck. But, MSD and Hardik Pandya had a wonderful partnership, as we ended up with 281 in the allotted 50 overs. When rain intervened, the DLS target for Aussies became 164 in 21 overs & I had visions of an Indian victory. The bowlers did a good job in restricting them to 137/9, as India won by 26 runs. My cousins & I really enjoyed our day out in Chennai !
Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Coimbatore - Chennai City FC vs East Bengal (I-League) - 22.12.2017 - This season, Chennai FC played their home matches in Coimbatore instead of Chennai which provided me with a good opportunity. I chose to attend this one, because of the opposition and the match was pretty decent with some good attacking play by both teams. East Bengal won 2-1, thanks to goals from Katsumi & Charles whereas Jesuraj grabbed a consolation for the hosts.
PGE Narodowy Stadium, Warsaw - 18.04.2018 - It is the most modern stadium in Poland and largest of its kind. It is the home stadium for Poland national football team. Opened in 2012 for the UEFA European Championships, it won the World Stadium Award 2012 from the World Stadium Congress.
Emirates Stadium, Arsenal FC vs West Ham United (EPL) - 22.04.2018 - Arsenal won 4-1 in a competitive match, which had some decent interplay by the Arsenal forwards (Lacazette, Aubameyang, Iwobi and Welbeck) but they left it late to win this encounter, scoring 3 goals in the last 10 minutes. This match was significant because it was the first match for the Gunners after their manager announced he will be ending his 22 year old reign at the end of the 2017-18 season. One moment I fondly remember is how the Hammers forward Arnautovic tracked an Arsenal player more than half the length of the pitch to try and win the ball back. It was a lung busting effort. The groans and abuse from the stands every time the home team stumbled or committed mistakes was a stark reminder of how frustrated the home fans had become under the current regime.
Old Trafford Stadium, Manchester - Manchester United FC vs Watford FC (EPL) - 13.05.2018 - Undoubtedly, one of the best days of my life as it was my first match at the Theatre of Dreams. The icing on the cake was that I had my brother for company, both of us fans of The Red Devils since the 2000's. I was happy to just be in this beautiful stadium and watch some of my favourite players like Rashford, Carrick, Pogba, Mata, Sanchez etc. Mourinho substituted Carrick (for Pogba) in the 86th minute to allow the home fans to give him a standing ovation in his last match before retirement. He signed off in style by creating the goal for Rashford, as we won 1-0 in our final match of the season. After the match, it was nice to watch the players and their families (especially the kids) having fun on the pitch before Carrick's emotional farewell speech signaled the end of the season.
Johan Cruyff Arena, Amsterdam - 19.05.2018 - Unfortunately, the Eredivisie (Dutch Football League) 2017-18 season had concluded couple of weeks before my visit to the stadium. Nonetheless, I was happy to visit the iconic stadium graced by the legendary Cruyff and one of the most exciting teams in Ajax Amsterdam.
Stade de France and Le Parc des Princes, Paris - 20.05.2018 - Stade de France is the national stadium of France, which is used by the French national football team and the French rugby union team. It is the stadium I remember most for the Zidane inspired French victory over Brazil in the 1998 Football World Cup. Parc des Princes is the home of Paris Saint-Germain, who have been dominant in the French Ligue 1 for the last few seasons. As the football season had ended a day earlier and PSG's last home match of the season was on May 12th, it was a case of so near yet so far.
Stade Roland Garros, Paris - French Open - 21.05.2018 - Not for the first time, I was very lucky. There was no plan as such to attend the tennis matches and on a whim, I decided to head towards Stade Roland Garros to just have a look and get a feel of things. As the crowd was queuing up outside the venue, I decided to cancel all plans and instead, watch some clay court action. When my search for the ticket counter failed, I went up to one of the attendants and asked him where to get a ticket. When he replied that tickets are only available online, I was so disappointed as I did not have a data connection on my phone. Without much hope, I started my Wi-Fi search and was thrilled when I got a weak signal at a particular spot near the entrance gate. Without budging from the spot for fear of losing the signal, I managed to book my ticket after a couple of attempts. 10 minutes later, I was in ! I roamed around the various courts, saw a few matches and bought some souvenirs before leaving late in the day to see the other attractions in Paris.
The All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club, London - Day 9 (Wimbledon) - 11.07.2018 - This one was a perfect example of how stars align to make the impossible possible. I had no business being here and when I got an off day, I cancelled everything and rushed to get in queue for the Championships. The couple of weeks here are a packed affair and I was unsure how long it would take me to enter the venue (people sleep overnight in a tent, waiting for gates to open the next day). Lady Luck smiled at me again - as England was playing Croatia in the semi finals of the Football World Cup, the crowd was less and I got in after an hour or so. As I was moving around the place, I was greeted by this sight and I was so shocked that I could hardly move - an unforgettable moment, the closest I have ever been to RF ! Later, I saw Serena Williams and Rafa having a hit before his match. I spent some time in different courts watching the matches and at Henman Hill (Aorangi Terrace) before the biggest match of the day - RF against Anderson. The ups and downs during the 4 hour 14 minute marathon match killed me and it was an experience which I will never forget, as the entire stadium willed Federer to get over the line. Unfortunately, it was not meant to be as he wasted a match point while going down 2-6, 6-7, 7-5, 6-4, 13-11. I felt sick to the stomach and thought of going back to the hotel but after realizing that visiting big W is a golden opportunity which I shouldn't be wasting, I stayed back for the other matches. There were no women's singles matches but I did watch some doubles matches, including the legends match involving Santoro & Rusedeski. In yet another thrilling quarterfinal, Nadal defeated Del Potro in a hard fought 5 setter to set up a semi final against Djokovic. I remember watching the stunning semi final between Djoko and Rafa couple of days later near London Stadium and boy, was it a thriller !
London Stadium, London - 14.07.2018 - It is the home of West Ham United FC, who have one of the most promising academies in the country. As the new football season begins only in August, I was a month too early for their home match.
Eiffel Tower, Paris - French Football World Cup Victory celebrations - 15.07.2018 - The 2018 World Cup Final between France and Croatia was an entertaining match and I had the pleasure of watching it live with thousands and thousands of Parisians near the Eiffel Tower in Paris (arranged by the government and attended by close to 100,000 people). The journey from my hotel to the venue, in itself, was a celebration as the fans sung songs and anthems as they packed the Paris Metro. As the match progressed and the goals came from Griezmann, Pogba & Mbappe, the belief grew stronger that the cup was coming to France. When the Les Bleus won 4-2, Paris erupted in joy and we had a party for a long long time. Only when the celebrations became violent and riots broke out, I chose to return to the safety of the hotel.
Gradski Park Arena, North Macedonia - 28.08.2019 - It is the home stadium of FK Vardar and the national football team of North Macedonia.
Rajko Mitic Stadium, Belgrade - 17.09.2019 - It is the home of FK Crvena zvezda (Red Star Belgrade), a team whose fans are famous for creating a raucous atmosphere during its matches. Due to the stadium's large capacity, it got compared to Rio de Janeiro's Maracana stadium and got the nickname "Marakana". I simply love the YouTube videos of the fans in the stadium and the famous walk in the players tunnel. Their eternal derby vs FK Partizan is very intense and often violent, maybe not for the faint-hearted. A few days back, a military tank had been placed in front of the stadium by a fan. It was done overnight and the next morning, everyone was shocked including the stadium officials. In a surprising move, they decided not to remove the tank and it really makes for a strange sight in front of a football stadium. Then again, football is like a war in some countries - so, maybe it is an appropriate symbol ! The Red Star fan who narrated the story, bid me a fond farewell with the parting line - "You should count yourself lucky because you just might be the first Indian who has visited the stadium after the tank was placed there !" On my way back, I could see the Partizan stadium in the distance but could not visit it because of time constraints.
Circuit de Monaco, Monaco - 25.10.2019 - It is the setting for arguably the most famous and glamorous race in a F1 calendar - the Monaco Grand Prix. I was so happy to visit the street circuit laid out on the streets of Monte Carlo, even if I was 5 months too late to attend the race.
Camp Nou, Barcelona - FC Barcelona vs Real Valladolid (La Liga) - 29.10.2019 - It was my long cherished dream to attend a Barca match in their famous stadium. And it was pure luck how this dream got realized ! When I was roaming the city's streets near La Sagrada, I saw a temporary exhibition about the football club. Once inside, I was shocked to see that the tickets were available for the home match, beginning in 8 hours time. I called my friend (born and brought up in Barcelona, so there was no way he would say no to this opportunity) and bought two tickets. We arrived at the stadium quite early, so that we could sit in "better" seats. I felt like I was committing a crime by taking someone else's seats and became nervous as seats around us got filled. Luckily, we were not evicted by anyone and we enjoyed a great game of football amidst passionate Barca supporters. As the match started, a banner was unfurled calling for Catalan independence but it was taken down quickly. Incidentally, protests were taking place in the city a couple of weeks before my arrival and I was unsure if I would be visiting Barcelona, in the first place - even the El Clasico, which was scheduled for October 26th was postponed. This match was rescheduled to the date I landed in the city - figuratively and literally, the tickets for this game fell in my lap. Messi was magic and it was a delight to see him dazzle on the field. There are things he does on the football field which no one else can and it is best appreciated from the stands. I had goosebumps when he scored a stunner of a free kick (50th of his career), I was speechless at his assists to his teammates and every time, he dribbled and ran at the defenders, I was expecting a miracle and rooting for him. There is something in this little genius that makes us a kid once again, however old you may be. For the record, Leo scored 2 & assisted twice as he inspired Barcelona to a 5-1 victory, which ensured his team returned to the top of La Liga. Arguably, his best performance of the season & I thanked my lucky stars I was there to witness it.
Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid - Real Madrid vs Real Betis (La Liga) - 03.11.2019 - I wanted to visit Bernabeu when CR7 was producing one match winning performance after another for Real Madrid. But, I did not have the good fortune of attending a home match when he was in Madrid colors. However, that disappointment was short lived once I managed to get my hands on the ticket for this game. If I say the stadium belting out the "Hala Madrid" song was one of the best moments of the game, it won't be entirely wrong. The match was a dull 0-0 affair with very few clear cut chances. But, I was still happy to see the midfield trio of Casemiro, Kroos and Modric strutting their stuff. Even though there were a couple of good moments in the final third by Hazard & Benzema, there was no bulging of the net and no victory for Madridistas tonight.
Estadio Sport Lisboa e Benfica and Jose Alvalade Stadium, Lisbon - 05.11.2019 - Like Liverpool & Glasgow, Lisbon is also home to two giants and fierce rivals - S.L. Benfica & Sporting CP. Along with FC Porto, they are the "Big Three" in Portugal and main contenders for the Primeira Liga title. The stadiums are incredible and fan arts are of a pretty decent level too. Benfica have won the league title most number of times (37), followed by Porto (28) and Sporting (18). The main reason I wanted to visit Sporting's stadium was because of their association with Cristiano Ronaldo, one of my favourite footballers.
Estadio do Drago, Porto - 07.11.2019 - It is the home of FC Porto, the club where Jose Mourinho made his name. Their home match was on Nov 4th, couple of days before I landed in Porto and unfortunately, I had to make do with a visit to the club store.
Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London - Tottenham Hotspur vs Sheffield United (EPL) - 09.11.2019 - My third football game in 12 days and never have I ever had it this good. Two reasons why I went for this game - I like Pochettino and his Spurs team plus the new stadium is eye-popping good (probably, one of the best in the world). Also, I was looking forward to see the attacking trio of Kane, Alli and Son in action. However, the team has been going through a tough phase this season and little did I know that this would be the game after which Poch gets the sack ! The game was ok, with some good moments amidst long phases where nothing much happened. Like their North London neighbors, the discontent was palpable in the stands and whether the fan base likes it or not, they will have to rely on the "special one" to turn their fortunes around.
O2 Arena, London - Nitto World Tour Finals - 10.11.2019 - I remember this tournament because I was finally able to get a photo clicked which had me and RF in the same frame (unlike Dubai & Wimbledon). I booked the Day 1 night session tickets a couple of months back, hoping to get one of the Big 3 (RF, Rafa, Djoko) playing under lights, which makes for one of a kind atmosphere. The practice sessions of Federer and Thiem were amazing and some of the shots that they hit were down right ridiculous and left me agape - I had never seen Thiem such shots in a match. I was incredibly lucky to get RF but he was beaten on the night by DominicThiem in straight sets (5-7, 5-7) and in the other match, Kubot/Melo beat Dodig/Polasek 4-6, 6-4, 10-5. Of course, I was sad at Federer's loss but I had an awakening of sorts that I should treasure his future matches without the expectation of a victory. I don't know how many tournaments he will play before he retires but I intend to enjoy the journey, however long it lasts without getting stressed about the destination.
Principality Stadium & Cardiff City Stadium, Cardiff - 13.11.2019 - Principality Stadium (or Millennium Stadium) is the national stadium of Wales and is home of the Wales national rugby team. Cardiff City Stadium is the home of Cardiff City Football Club, which competed in the Premier League in 2018-19 season.
Celtic Park, Glasgow - 20.11.2019 - On my recent trip to Scotland, I knew I had to visit this famous stadium, which is the home of Celtic Football Club or The Bhoys. The stadium looks isolated, as there are not many buildings around and its stands seem to rise out of nowhere. Celtic are one of only 5 clubs in the world to have won over 100 trophies in their history. They have a very colorful history with Rangers and the 2 clubs are known as the Old Firm. With Celtic having won the Scottish League in the previous nine seasons, the 2020-21 season will be fiercely contested as Rangers try everything in their power to stop Celtic from achieving "The 10" - a feat which remains out of touch for both these clubs (both have won 9 in a row once, this will be Celtic's second attempt at 10-in-a-row). Unfortunately, the next match was scheduled only for Dec 5th and I had to content myself with a look at the stadium and a visit to the club store.
Old Trafford Stadium, Manchester - Manchester United FC vs Aston Villa FC - 01.12.2019 - It was a disappointing 2-2 draw for MUFC. Jack Grealish brilliantly curled in the opener for the Villans, before Rashford's header bounced off the post and went in off the Villa goalie Tom Heaton for an own goal. After the break, Lindelof's header got us into the lead but it did not last long as Mings got the leveller a couple of minutes later. I fervently hoped for a goal in squeaky bum time but it was not to be. Even though it was another disappointing result and we were going through a tough phase, I was happy to "return home" and left the Theatre of Dreams hoping things will turn out better in the near future.
Andheri Sports Complex, Mumbai - Mumbai City FC vs Bangalore FC (ISL) - 17.01.2020 - Mumbai won 2-0. The match was entertaining and played at a decent clip. I was pleasantly surprised by the work rate and quality shown by the players, something which has improved over time in the ISL. One of the reasons I went for this match was because of Sunil Chhetri, a footballer I admire so much. I got goosebumps at the end of the match, when the home crowd gave him a standing ovation and cheered him off the field. The perfect gentleman that he is, he acknowledged everyone in the stadium, even though his team had lost.
Wankhede Stadium - Mumbai vs Uttar Pradesh Ranji Trophy Test - 21.01.2020 -The match was a run feast on a belter of a pitch. UP had scored 625/8d and Mumbai were rescued by an unbeaten 301 by Sarfaraz Khan. I went to the stadium on Day 3 and the partnership between Siddhesh (98) and Sarfaraz was fun, with the latter hitting some stunning shots to delight the few people who were present.
Mhalunge Balewadi Tennis Complex, Pune - Tata Open Maharashtra (ATP 250) - 07.02.2020 - It was a fun day with some decent tennis action. I watched the singles quarterfinals, three of which were hard fought three setters - won by Berankis, Gerasimov, Duckworth and the eventual champion Jiri Vesely. It was disappointing that Benoit Paire, Viktor Troicki, Paes and Prajnesh were all out of the tournament a day before I came here.
Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai - Sachin XI vs Lara XI Charity Match - 07.03.2020 - The match where Sachin and Lara turned the clock back. As the two legends walked out for the toss, I shouted till my voice became hoarse. More than anything, I wanted to see them bat for a long time. West Indies scored 150/8 in their 20 overs and India chased the target down in 18.2 overs with 7 wickets to spare. It was the last match I attended before Corona struck & there were nostalgic moments galore, as good as it was going to get for a long time - Zak rattling Ganga's stumps and letting out a roar, Yuvraj swooping in for a direct hit at the stumps, Chanderpaul with his weird stance stroking his way to a well made 61, Lara's 4 majestic fours off the 15 deliveries he faced (a lofted cover drive, a charge down the pitch to hit one back over the bowler, his trademark pull with the exaggerated lift of the front leg, a rasping cover drive off Pathan with a follow through to die for) but the best part of the match was when it was India's turn to bat. It was all about one and only one person now - Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar ! His familiar walk down the staircase of the dressing room while putting on his gloves almost brought tears to my eyes, his glance towards the sky as he stepped on to the field was symbolic of my prayers to the heavens asking for his long stay at the crease, the shadow straight drives as he walked towards the pitch made me greedy (My phone captured it all !). When the Indian innings started, Tendulkar was taking risky singles which were too much for Sehwag. Tino Best rattled Viru with his pace but Sachin timed the ball so well off his bowling that it looked like he was facing a different bowler altogether. He even danced down the track to the much slower Pedro Collins, got dropped by Hooper (YAY !) and late cut Benn for a four behind point. Sehwag also got better with time and soon matched Sachin stroke for stroke. When Tendulkar was out for a superb 36 (29 balls - 7 fours), the disappointment was short lived as the packed stadium rose as one to give a standing ovation he deserves every time he plays. Kaif scored 14 and the 4th wicket partnership between MoM Viru (74no - 57b - 11 4's) & Yuvi (10no - 7b - 1 6) brought us home. It was an awesome evening, which will stay in my memory for a long time.
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