Indian Cricket Tournament
India’s Cricket Passion Unleashed in the Amsterdam Area
India’s ties to the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area were given a sporting boost on 27 June 2009 when 400 members of the Indian community came together at the VRA Cricket Club for the 3rd annual India Day.
The event pitted 16 teams (twice the number two years ago), representing Indian companies based in the Amsterdam area, against each other.
Cricket: serious business
Playing with a plastic ball and without the usual protective equipment did nothing to lessen the seriousness of the players’ efforts, nor the spectators’ enthusiasm.
All afternoon, shouts of excitement and collective groans echoed around the picturesque cricket ground in the Amsterdamse Bos that once hosted a Cricket World Cup match in 1999.
Teams from Tata, Wipro, Infosys, Cognizant, Satyam, Optiver, NIIT, and Nucleus battled in a ten-over-a-side knock-out tournament, before Satyam and Tata Consultancy Services (winners for the last two years) made their way to a final, which was won by the former.
India’s importance to the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area
The event was an initiative of amsterdam inbusiness, a co-operative enterprise involving the local authorities of Amsterdam, Almere, Amstelveen and Haarlemmermeer.
The number of Indian firms in the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area has doubled in the last three years to 40 (80% being from the ICT sector), together creating 2,500 direct jobs. Indian knowledge migrants are the fastest growing expat group in the area.
To help these feel at home, and to increase its attraction for new firms, amsterdam inbusiness organises annual events such as an expat seminar specifically for Indians, a large Diwali festival and the cricket tournament.
India’s importance to Amsterdam Area.
India Network cocktails
The India Network held a cocktail reception towards the end of the day. Attending the event for the first time was Manbir Singh, the Indian ambassador in the Netherlands and his wife, who were welcomed by the deputy mayors of Amstelveen, Jan Willem Groot, and Amsterdam, Hans Gerson.
They were joined by nearly 100 VIPs; directors of Indian companies, members of the Netherlands India Chamber of Commerce, KNCB chairman Marc Asselbergs, and members of the amsterdam inbusiness Asia team.
Cricket unites Indian expats
According to Jolanda van der Aart, who runs the India desk at amsterdam business, a cricket tournament was an outstanding way to bring a many of the area’s estimated 3,500 Indian residents together.
“When we visited India as a trade delegation,” said Van Der Aart, “we saw what passion goes into the game there, and we decided to use that as part of our promotion of Amsterdam to Indian companies.”
For more pictures, click here
Picture credit: cricketeurope4.net
>His Excellency Manbir Singh, the Indian ambassador in the Netherlands, and his wife arrive for the cocktail party.
>The tournament-winning team from Satyam
