Dutch ambassador, Alphonsus Stoelinga, recently hosted a get-together to celebrate the King’s Day of the Netherlands in Delhi

Footie fun: This was a celebration both royal and sporting – the Dutch ambassador to India, Alphonsus Stoelinga, and his wife Heleni recently hosted a get-together to celebrate the King’s Day of the Netherlands at the ambassador’s official residence in the capital. The theme for this year’s celebrations was ‘India and the Netherlands, Partners in Sport’.An all-India under-10 football team, which won the New Delhi Youth Football League, was felicitated during the ceremony. Paul Schuttenbelt, chairman of the league, said, “The idea behind the league is to take football to the grassroots in India. We want to give equal opportunity to children from different economic backgrounds to come and play through a learning-based system.”
Special venue: While the guests were overheard discussing the elections, another interesting bit about the event was the venue. The sprawling bungalow, now the ambassador’s residence, was once owned by Mohammad Ali Jinnah. Those spotted at the do included joint secretary (parliament and coordination) in the MEA, Neeta Bhushan, and polo player Deepak Ohri.