Furthering Friendships
After Monday’s sweltering but memorable first day of cricket, the day’s activities were less energy intensive yet no less significant. In the third Congress session, teams continued to discuss the issues that matter most to them, working towards the declarations which will be unveiled on Saturday morning at the General Assembly.
Demonstrative of the cross-border bonds forming between the teams, the young people were encouraged to exchange Street Child United-coloured wristbands with new friends they have made a connection with. The diversity of swaps was indicative of the growing trust and unity between teams: Burundi with Sri Lanka, India with Rwanda, and Hungary with Uganda among those that took place.
Not for the first time, spontaneous dancing then broke out, already an iconic trend at this year’s Street Child World Cup. A seemingly endless conga ensued – it was especially heartening to see the more hesitant dancers being encouraged to join in by fellow countrymen and women and new friends.
Eating, playing and dancing
After some much-deserved downtime, all those involved in the SCCWC ’23, dressed in a diverse array of national tradition, were invited to a reception hosted at the British Deputy High Commission Chennai. Oliver Ballhatchet MBE was instrumental in organising the tournament. But he can’t have come up against many harder challenges than facing ball-after-ball against young cricketers keen to dispatch the Deputy High Commissioner in his own backyard net! On top of the delicious barbecue, guests enjoyed more dancing, highly competitive games of pool and football, as well as henna tattoos from local artists.
This year’s second Late Show provided the evening’s entertainment, with performances from India Cats, Zimbabwe, England, India Wolves, and Mexico. Saying that each performance was different would be a huge understatement, with all showcasing the respective cultures in a unique way.
Mexico’s performance was particularly memorable. A one-of-a-kind dramatised twist on a game of ‘lotería’ saw team members act out culturally-significant icons which audience members crossed off on a beautifully designed scorecard. Freeda Khalo’s appearance might have been expected, but a taco costume, along with its chef, less so.
An impromptu Macarena concluded the proceedings of another special day in Chennai.
