Mumbai: Greetings from Samarthanam & Cricket Association for the Blind in India (CABI) and BookASmile, the charity initiative of BookMyShow! BookASmile was created with a vision to support special causes and enrich lives of the less fortunate across India through entertainment, experiences and empowerment.
We are glad to announce the 17-member Indian blind cricket team to participate in the 5th ODI World Cup Cricket Tournament For The Blind, 2018 which will be held in Pakistan and Dubai from January 7 to 21, 2018. Apart from India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Australia and South Africa are the other participating nations in the event.
Prior to selecting the World Cup squad, zonal and national tournaments were conducted in different parts of the country from October 8 to November 3, 2017. The 24th national championship was conducted in Mumbai from where 56 players were selected for the final selection camp in Pune. The selected members will now undergo training in a month-long camp, supported by BookASmile, the charity initiative of India’s largest online entertainment ticketing brand BookMyShow, and scheduled to held at Gopalan School Complex, Whitefield, in Bangalore from December 6, 2017 to January 4, 2018.
The camp will have a number of activities including fitness sessions, food & nutrition advises, personality development sessions, meditation & yoga sessions and training sessions from renowned cricket coaches. There will also be team building activities, friendly matches with corporates’ and celebrities. The camp will come to an end on January 4, 2018 and the team will leave for Pakistan on January 5, 2018, to take part in the World Cup.
List of Final 17 Indian Players are-
| Sr No. | Name | Category | State |
| 1. | Md. Jafar Iqbal | B1 | Odisha |
| 2. | Nareshbhai Tumda | B1 | Gujarat |
| 3. | Mahender Vaishnav | B1 | Telangana |
| 4. | Sonu Golkar | B1 | Madhya Pradesh |
| 5. | Prem Kumar | B1 | Andhra Pradesh |
| 6. | Basappa Vadgol | B1 | Karnataka |
| 7. | I Ajay Kumar Reddy – Captain | B2 | Andhra Pradesh |
| 8. | D Venkateswara Rao | B2 | Andhra Pradesh |
| 9. | Ganeshbhai Muhudkar | B2 | Gujarat |
| 10. | Surajit Ghara | B2 | West Bengal |
| 11. | Anilbhai Gariya | B2 | Gujarat |
| 12. | Prakash Jayaramaiah | B3 | Karnataka |
| 13. | Deepak Malik | B3 | Haryana |
| 14. | Sunil Ramesh | B3 | Karnataka |
| 15. | T Durga Rao | B3 | Andhra Pradesh |
| 16. | Pankaj Bhue | B3 | Odisha |
| 17. | Rambir | B3 | Haryana |
- B1- Complete Blind/B2 – Partial Blind who can see up to 3 mtrs /B3-Partial Blind who can see 6 mtrs.
Samarthanam is a Non-Government Organization (NGO) that works to empower the visually impaired and disabled since 1997 bringing about progress in socio-economic-cultural fronts. Founded by Mahantesh GK, a visually challenged individual who set forth a vision of empowering the Visually impaired, disabled, marginalized people in India. Twenty year till date, Samarthanam has PAN India presence with its initiatives, facilitating opportunities to enable persons with disabilities and the underserved to keep pace with the rest of the society.
Samarthanam promotes building of an inclusive society which provides equal opportunities, without discrimination, for the development of the visually impaired, disabled and economically underserved. Samarthanam initiatives include Education, Skilling, Sports, Environment, Arts and Culture, Rehabilitation and Health and Nutrition.
Sport for the blind is a rightful pursuit and it forms a platform for physical and social development. Under Samarthanam Sports Initiative, Cricket Association for the Blind in India (CABI) governs cricket tournaments and championships in India and abroad. CABI is the only affiliate to World Blind Cricket Ltd. (WBC) and has touched 25,000 cricket enthusiasts across India/World from 2010. CABI primarily aims to promote Blind Cricket and reinforce the association among the visually impaired multitude in India and abroad Provides opportunities to the visually impaired and creating awareness among the public on the abilities and talent of the players.
Hon Ex President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee felicitated Indian team after winning 1st T20 World Cup in 2012. Hon Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi felicitated Indian team after winning 4th ODI World Cup in 2014 and the 2nd T20 World Cup for the Blind 2017. Hon President conveyed appreciation in his letter after the 2nd T20 World Cup for the Blind 2017. Felicitations and Support were received from Government, Ministers, celebrities and cricket veterans which
Proved to be valuable for the visually impaired cricket players adding confidence and making them self-sufficient.
We request you to kindly publish/report the above in your Print/Television/Social Media and support and encourage the Indian Cricket Team for the Blind representing India in 5th ODI World Cup.
