Cricket for the disabled in the State is all set to usher in a new chapter with the Board of Disabled Cricket Association (BDCA) initiating a series of steps to promote physically challenged cricketers in a big way.
Interestingly, the BDCA held its annual general meeting in the city with a Hyderabadi P. Punnami Krishna being the president and deciding to host the national-level selection tournament to pick the Indian team for the forthcoming tour to England.
“This tournament will feature teams from all the States across India and will be held on league-cum-knock-out format in Hyderabad with the inaugural and the closing scheduled at the floodlit Lal Bahadur Stadium in April this year,” Mr. Krishna informed The Hindu .
“If everything goes well, we are hopeful of inviting cricketing legend Sachin Tendulkar for the meet,” he said.
Mr. Krishna also took pains to explain that there are four regular full-fledged disabled teams which play the game regularly and he also revealed that the physically challenged feel it a disrepute even if there is slightest hint of a change in rules like in reducing the length of the boundaries.
“They don’t want to be looked down and that is the spirit which they would love to show on the field whenever they get the opportunity,” the BDCA chief pointed out.
“Right now, we are moving ahead on the money pooled in by the well-wishers including our chairman Dr. P. Hari Prasad. We would be more than pleased if we can find sponsorship at least for the National championship,” feels Mr. Krishna. “After all, we are here for a cause and not to make money,” he insists.
The BDCA has also written a letter to grant affiliation to the Paralympics Olympic Committee and is optimistic of getting it too as even the BCCI is also backing its efforts, says the BDCA president.
Clearly, the BDCA is really looking for a huge fillip to its efforts at least in Telangana to start with as it feels the State government is “truly sports-friendly”.
