Madhya Pradesh has constituted its first visually impaired women’s cricket team which will play in the ‘National Cricket Tournament for The Blind’ to be held in Bengaluru from February 28.
In all, 15 teams from across India will participate in the tournament, but MP will be represented for the first time.
The 14-member team has been selected following a rigorous selection, trial and training schedule over the past four months. The team members were congratulated and encouraged by state culture and tourism minister Usha Thakur at a programme held at the Barkatullah University sports ground on Tuesday.
Speaking on the occasion, the minister urged the women players to fulfill their goal of winning the tournament with the same grit and enthusiasm that they showed at the selection and training level. “Your thinking and power starts from the point where common people five up. You are all special,” Thakur said while felicitating each player.
The players include Nikita (captain and wicket keeper), Raveena (vice-captain), Geeta and Deepshikha, all from Betul, Sushma from Damoh, Bhuri, Anjali Rawat, Sapna and Vishika—all from Gwalior, Anjali Yadav, Priya and Sarita Chourey from Hoshangabad, Varsha from Jabalpur and Komal from Ujjain (most of the girls go by first name).
Talking to THE WEEK, Sarita Chourey said that she was happy at being selected in the MP cricket team for visually impaired women. “It is great to get the opportunity to play at national level. I have a hope that we will perform very well and also win the championship,” she said.
The team has been constituted with joint efforts of Cricket Association for Blind in Madhya Pradesh (CABMP) and the Samarthanam Trust for the Disabled. Raghavendra Sharma, president of CABMP said that about 300 visually impaired women from 12 districts participated in the selection camp held in November 2021. On the basis of talent and performance and various levels of trial and training, the final 14 were selected. General Secretary of CABMP and international blind cricket player Sonu Golkar played an important role in this regard. Sharma also congratulated the team members who were selected.
Chairperson of the Child Welfare Committee Jagriti Singh, former member of State Commission for Protection of Children’s Rights Nirmala Barela, members of the association Alok Rathod and Raghavendra Singh were among those present.
