Unlike the star cricketers of India, the crowd and camera lights were missing for blind cricketers who reached Surat airport last week after winning the 5th Blind Cricket One Day World Cup against Pakistan in the UAE on January 20. Three blind cricketers - Anil Garia and Ganesh Mahudkar from Dharampur in Valsad and Anil Tumda from Vansda in Navsari – played key role in winning the coveted trophy. This was the fourth consecutive time they were winning the world cup by beating Pakistan.
Mahudkar, who hails from Rajpuri village in Dharampur, is an all-rounder in Indian blind cricket team and was the man of the match in the semi-finals against Bangladesh scoring 112 runs in 69 balls. Mahudkar says, “We expected a grand welcome like our Indian star cricketers get when they come home after winning the World Cup. Still, we are happy with the love accorded to us by the people who have come to receive us from our native places.”
Mahudkar, who runs a small grocery shop in his village, added, “It’s a proud moment for all of us as we defeated Pakistan team for the fourth consecutive time. It’s time for the central government to think about blind cricketers and their future. Just tweeting and giving us congratulations will not work. We want stable jobs to feed our family.”
Another blind cricketer from Ugta village in Dharampur Anil Garia is a farm labourer. “Sachin Tendulkar and Prime Minister Narendra Modi are tweeting and wishing us congratulations, but no one comes out and offers us support. We don’t need tweets, but a quality life. We don’t ask for lavish lifestyle like star cricketers of India, but a decent life so that we can play for our country.”
Navsari MP C R Patil, who had gone to felicitate the players from south Gujarat, said, “The entire south Gujarat is proud of the blind cricketers who have returned home after defeating Pakistan team. Being the MP, I will definitely represent their issues and problems to the central government. I hope the government will definitely provide good jobs to these cricketers.”
Blind cricketer from Khataamba village in Vansda in Navsari district Anil Tumda said, “The Pakistani team was under tremendous pressure in the finals. We were determined to win the game and the strategy of our captain Ajay Reddy worked well.”
