Ashwin's day out with students at Riviera

Vellore: “I shall meet you all again, after India winning the World Cup”, cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin, told students from various colleges and universities in India and abroad,  at the inaugural of the four-day Riviera-2016, on Thursday.

The event is an international sports & cultural festival of VIT University here. Before Ashwin could enter the shamiana to speak as the chief guest, nearly 7500 students who participated in a 10 km marathon, named Standup India, were waiting eagerly to have a glimpse of Ashwin, and also listen to him.

Many cricket lovers who watched his performance in playgrounds as a bowler and right-handed batsman, had no idea about his effective speech to  instill confidence in them.

When Ashwin took over the mike, he asked the gathering, whether they wanted to ask him  any questions for him to answer. When some Telugu speaking members in the audience wanted him to speak in Telugu, he spoke in chaste-Telugu and won a round of applause. When some Tamils wanted him to speak, he followed the same method.

“I have managed to speak in Hindi, after I became a cricketer’ he said and started speaking a few words in Hindi too.

Amidst non-stop shouting from the young audience, Ashwin said he wished to see them again. He assured them that he would come to the university again after India winning the World Cup.

The VIT University Chancellor G.Viswanathan presided and declared open the Riviera fest. Ashwin distributed a cricket cup with the first prize money of Rs 20,000 to Nanda Institute of Technology, Erode, for winning the Cricket Tournament held between January 27 and 30.