Expressing anguish that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is yet to recognise blind cricket in the country, blind activist and founding chairman of the World Blind Cricket Council (WBCC) George Abraham is pinning hopes on Indian cricket captain M S Dhoni to give some impetus to blind cricket.
Dynamic personalityMr. Abraham, who also founded the Cricket Association for the Blind in India (CAB), told The Hindu on Thursday that though he is yet to approach Mr. Dhoni on the issue, considering that he is a dynamic personality, he hopes the cricketer can give a boost.
According to Mr. Abraham, who now runs SCORE Foundation - a non-profit organisation for the people living with blindness and low vision, millions of rupees are being spent on cricket, but when it comes to promote blind cricket, bodies are not interested.
Not about disability“It is to be understood that people with disabilities are also stakeholders to the game like others. The problem is not about blindness or disability. It is the way people look at the disabilities. It is about the mindset,” he said.
In the city to promote Nazar Ya Nazariya (sight or mindset), a TV series, which was aired on Doordarshan between September and December 2013, he said he is approaching different bodies, including corporates, to create opportunities for inclusion of differently abled people, particularly blind.
Interacting with schoolchildren at the event organised at Birla Industrial and Science Museum by the Civilian Welfare Foundation (CWF), Mr. Abraham said it is the mindset that matters the most to overcome an obstacle, particularly for those who suffer from physical disabilities.
