Cricket Players Association to include para cricketers, gets thumbs up for inclusion

Over the years, para sports has been sidelined and marginalized in India. Things are changing for the better but we still have a long way to go. Our para sportsmen, who are exceptionally talented and skilled, are struggling to make ends meet. It is high time that our government steps up for inclusive sports. Cricketers Players Association (CPA) is a newly formed committee that by a Committee of Administrators (CoA). Cricket players from different sections will be a part of CPA. Even disabled cricketers will be included. This is truly a great step towards inclusion.

CPA will be formed in Mumbai in a couple of weeks, and works are currently undergoing to register it. CPA will be funded by the Board of Cricket Control of India (BCCI). Details of the funding have not been revealed. But the CoA will decide upon how much the BCCI will have to spend for CPA. The board management has already been contacted for the same. Para cricket players across India have given thumbs up for this initiative which will help promote para sports in the country.

Shiv Prasad S, Vice-Captain of Indian wheelchair cricket team says that it is high-time that such a step is taken towards promoting talents in the country.

This is indeed a great step towards inclusion. BCCI has been ignoring differently abled sportsmen for a long time in spite of repeated requests to help us. Formation of CPA is going to encourage more talents to come forward and play for our country. Talks regarding inclusion of para sportsmen into mainstream are often discussed. But nothing concrete has been done. Hope this doesn’t end up like that-Shiv Prasad S, Vice-Captain, Indian Wheelchair Cricket Team

The Lodha Committee has clearly recommended BCCI to fund for CPA. Members of the Cricket Association for the Blind in India and Physically Challenged will also be part of the association. Pioneers of cricket including Kapil Dev, Anshuman Gaekwad, Bharat Reddy and Shantha Rangaswamy are all part of CPA.

“This is great news. For the last twenty years, we have been knocking on BCCI’s doors. Now they have finally agreed to support visually impaired and disabled cricketers. We have almost 25,000 blind cricketers in India and many other cricketers with different kinds of disabilities. We have won many titles for our country as well. So it is high time something like this to promote us is introduced, says Shekhar Naik, Former Vice-Captain, Indian Blind Cricket Team.

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