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If you love sports, you will love Chennai. The city wears a bright, enthusiastic
and promising look when it comes to sport and recreation. Be it cricket, football
or tennis, Chennai knows how to play it big. The city comes alive with its characteristic
fervor and frenzy whenever there is a crucial cricket match or a tight game of
tennis.
Cricket is the most popular sport in Chennai. The M. A. Chidambaram Stadium,
popularly known as the MAC, is one of the oldest cricket stadiums in India built
in 1916. The stadium is famous for its list of records including the first ever
test match victory that India recorded in 1951-52 when they defeated England
and the second tied tests that was India v/s Australia in 1986. The Chemplast
Cricket Ground in the IIT Madras campus is another important cricket venue.
Football is another favorite game in Chennai. The city features some of the
most premier football clubs of India and many of the star footballers of the
country belong to this city. Chennai is gradually emerging with an important
position in the football scenario of the country. The history of football in
the city dates back to the times of the Raj era when the game still exuded an
exclusive British flavor. The Madras Gymkhana Club is one of the oldest football
clubs in Chennai founded by the British in 1884.
Chennai has always held an important position in the Tennis scenario of India.
Indian tennis owes a lot to Chennai. The city has produced many world class
tennis players and hosts the only ATP tournament to be held in India. Inspired
by the success of Ramesh Krishnan and Vijay Amritaraj, thousands of youngsters
today dream of making it big in the international arena. There are as many as
fifteen coaching centers in Chennai, not taking into account the Tamil Nadu
Tennis Association’s coaching scheme.
Mayor Radhakrishnan Stadium is the venue for hockey matches and features a
seating capacity of 4,000. The Chennai Veerans, a premiere hockey league team
is based in Chennai. The stadium has hosted the Champions Trophy twice, recently
in 2005.
The Velachery Aquatic Complex seats 4,000 audiences and hosts different kinds
of water sports. Chennai has also hosted the South Asian Federation (SAF) Games
1995. Chennai was the venue in 2006 for the first Commonwealth Junior Fencing
Championships.
The Guindy Race Course for horse racing was set up in 1777. Motor racing events
are held at the Sriperumbudur track for cars. The Madras Boat Club was established
in 1867 and it hosts rowing races. The city features two 18-hole golf courses
-- the Cosmopolitan Club and the Gymkhana Club golf course, both were established
in the late 19th century.
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