President Mithun Manhas and Secretary Devajit Saikia of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) supported a historic support system for the men’s and women’s teams affiliated with the Cricket Association for the Blind in India (CABI) on Saturday, describing it as a pivotal step toward inclusive cricket development in India.
Following ten years of remarkable success for India’s visually impaired cricket players, including numerous Men’s World Cup titles and a historic first Women’s World Cup victory in Sri Lanka last year, the BCCI formally announced on Saturday the structured arrangement for extending institutional backing to both the men’s and women’s national teams.
Manhas claimed that institutional, ongoing support was not only necessary but also long overdue, given the magnitude of what India’s blind cricket players had accomplished on the international scene.
“The cricketing community is extremely proud of the accomplishments of India’s visually impaired players. The BCCI hopes to improve these athletes’ exposure, infrastructure, and opportunities through this assistance system.
“Our goal for the game still centers on inclusive growth. We hope that this assistance will encourage many more people to take up the sport and give the teams even more confidence to strive for success. He stated in a BCCI statement, “The BCCI is still dedicated to doing its part to guarantee that cricket remains a game for everyone.
As part of the arrangement, the BCCI will pay for both teams’ international travel to two tournaments each year, house the home and visiting teams during bilateral series played in India, and open its affiliated stadiums and grounds for both local and international games.
To ensure that visually impaired cricket players have the resources and support they require to compete confidently both domestically and internationally, it is crucial to extend this support to CABI.
“The chance to take advantage of match settings and infrastructure supported by the BCCI will further improve their experience and contribute to the improvement of professional standards in blind cricket in India,” Saikia continued.