Calcuttans are big sports fans. Football matches, especially those between the two leading clubs, Mohan Bagan and East Bengal, and cricket test matches draw huge crowds. There are two major stadium complexes, the Ranji Stadium at Eden Gardens and the new Salt Lake Stadium on the edge of the city.

 

The Maidan , home to the Calcutta Bowling Club and the Ladies Golf Club, is a favourite venue for impromptu cricket and football matches, and the scene in winter and spring of regular race meetings. These are run by the Calcutta Turf Club, and bets can also be placed at their premises on Russell Street. Also in winter, army teams play polo at the grounds at the centre of the racecourse. The curious sport of kabadi , a fierce form of tag played by two teams on a pitch the size of a badminton court, can also be seen around the Maidan.

The easiest swimming pool for visitors to use is Calcutta Swimming Club, 1 Strand Rd (tel 033/248 2894) where you can apply for temporary membership. The Hindusthan Hotel , 235-1 AJC Bose Rd (tel 033/247 2394) allows non-residents to use their pool on a fee-paying daily basis. Across the road from the superbly equipped Tollygunge Club, where with the right connections you might get to use the pool and tennis courts, the elite Royal Calcutta Golf Club is the world's second-oldest golf club, after St Andrews in Scotland.