(3 June 2010 7:35 pm)

NEW DELHI: It was not really a match that he should have lost, particularly after she admitted she was a bad driver. But cricket ace VVS Laxman lost a Zapak online car racing game to actress Neha Dhupia.

The match between the two marked the launching of the Gillete Mach3 India Gaming Championship (IGC) in association with Zapak for the second season after successful run in 2009.

While expressing joy at defeating Laxman, she said playing games online was a fetish that many actors possessed as their work put them under a lot of strain. She was confident that IGC 2010 would soon become the leader in online games in the country.

Laxman said he preferred playing Hozzat! which was about cricket, the game he loved most – on and off the field. He found the game to be a stress reliever.

Both agreed that the message of online games like IGC was one about encouraging sportsman spirit. And even as she said she should not be judged by the way she played her game, she claimed she was far better in acting.

Zapak Digital Entertainment CMO Arun Mehra said the game had attracted 1.6 million players in 2009. "With over 7 million registered users, Zapak.com has started a gaming revolution in India in less than three years of its inception. The Gillette Mach 3 India Gaming Championship 2010 will expand to 34 cities from the previous eight, marking its strong presence across the country."

The Gillette Mach3 India Gaming Championship 2010 is based on the idea "Be a winner, Change your World". The lucky winners are entitled to receive prizes worth Rs 15 million.

Commenting on the launch of Gillette Mach3 India Gaming Championship, Gillette India Marketing Manager Sharat Verma said, "Last year the India Gaming Championship was such a phenomenal success that we have once again partnered with Zapak to bring out the Gillette Mach3 IGC 2010, giving all sports enthusiasts across the country a chance to try their games online and live the passion themselves. Our aim is to make the Gillette Mach3 India Gaming Championship '10 – the biggest in the world."