New Delhi: A new training program for visually impaired women and girls was launched in Delhi on Tuesday, with an aim to train 50 participants in cricket over three months.
The program was launched at the Constitution Club of India in the presence of Philip Green OAM, Australian High Commissioner to India, Meenakshi Lekhi, former Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Culture and Yogesh Taneja, President of the Blind Cricket Association of Delhi. .
The initiative is a collaboration between Samarthanam Trust for the Disabled, Cricket Association for the Blind of India (CABI) and Cricket Association for the Blind of Delhi (CABD).
The program focuses on coaching blind cricket and providing vocational training to improve digital and financial literacy, including soft skills, computer skills and life skills, said Yogesh Taneja, president of the Delhi Blind Cricket Association.
"I started playing cricket two years ago (in 2022), and last year I participated in international matches. I have played twice for Nepal," said Shemoo Das (22), a visually impaired cricketer from Assam, while sharing her travel with
Recalling his early travels, Das said, "At first, I used to fill water bottles with marbles so that I could hear the sound and understand where the ball was coming from. During that time, my mother was very supportive of me, although I have an elder brother who is blind and can't speak. My mother took care of everything and supported me in everything.
Shikha Shetty, the coach, highlighted the challenges of training visually impaired athletes.
"Since 2019, I have been training blind children. The most difficult part is to persuade families from lower backgrounds to allow their daughters to come to the countryside. When families are reluctant to send them out of the city, we first have to convince them. Mentally and training them physically is another challenge," Shetty said.
"With these children we have not faced many problems because now they have reached an international level," Shetty said.
"In my 10 years of coaching experience, we identify players when they first play in front of us. We evaluate their potential during the game and then focus more on their training with interest and patience."
Referring to their condition, another trainer said: "As normal people, when we meet someone who is blind, we sympathize with them. However, they don't need sympathy, they need motivation. They have grown up in this condition, so they have already developed ways of understanding things and have a heightened sense compared to others. They perceive the world differently than we do.
She added: "Training them requires more time because of their challenges, but with practice they learn to overcome difficulties such as not seeing the direction the ball is thrown."
Esther (18), another visually impaired cricketer from Andhra Pradesh, said: "My family has been very supportive of me. My brother inspired me to play cricket and asked me to start practicing in seventh grade. I have played for Nepal for two times and we have also been in the semi-finals".
He has three younger brothers, she said.
During the ceremony, Philip Green said: "The Australian Government believes in supporting all people to achieve their potential and is committed to promoting gender equality and disability rights."
"I am very happy to work with our Indian cricket partners to promote the sport as a means to create a safe, welcoming and empowering space for women and girls," he said.
Meenakshi Lekhi emphasized the importance of Resilience, Reflection and Relationships (RRR) in fostering long-term success and growth at an event.
Reflecting on India's recent triumph at the 2024 T20 World Cup, she praised the participants for their resilience and celebrated their remarkable performances as a testament to their inner strength.
The Indian women's blind cricket team won the gold medal at the IBSA World Games on August 26 last year by defeating Australia in the final by 9 wickets.
The program was launched at the Constitution Club of India in the presence of Philip Green OAM, Australian High Commissioner to India, Meenakshi Lekhi, former Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Culture and Yogesh Taneja, President of the Blind Cricket Association of Delhi. .
The initiative is a collaboration between Samarthanam Trust for the Disabled, Cricket Association for the Blind of India (CABI) and Cricket Association for the Blind of Delhi (CABD).
The program focuses on coaching blind cricket and providing vocational training to improve digital and financial literacy, including soft skills, computer skills and life skills, said Yogesh Taneja, president of the Delhi Blind Cricket Association.
"I started playing cricket two years ago (in 2022), and last year I participated in international matches. I have played twice for Nepal," said Shemoo Das (22), a visually impaired cricketer from Assam, while sharing her travel with
Recalling his early travels, Das said, "At first, I used to fill water bottles with marbles so that I could hear the sound and understand where the ball was coming from. During that time, my mother was very supportive of me, although I have an elder brother who is blind and can't speak. My mother took care of everything and supported me in everything.
Shikha Shetty, the coach, highlighted the challenges of training visually impaired athletes.
"Since 2019, I have been training blind children. The most difficult part is to persuade families from lower backgrounds to allow their daughters to come to the countryside. When families are reluctant to send them out of the city, we first have to convince them. Mentally and training them physically is another challenge," Shetty said.
"With these children we have not faced many problems because now they have reached an international level," Shetty said.
"In my 10 years of coaching experience, we identify players when they first play in front of us. We evaluate their potential during the game and then focus more on their training with interest and patience."
Referring to their condition, another trainer said: "As normal people, when we meet someone who is blind, we sympathize with them. However, they don't need sympathy, they need motivation. They have grown up in this condition, so they have already developed ways of understanding things and have a heightened sense compared to others. They perceive the world differently than we do.
She added: "Training them requires more time because of their challenges, but with practice they learn to overcome difficulties such as not seeing the direction the ball is thrown."
Esther (18), another visually impaired cricketer from Andhra Pradesh, said: "My family has been very supportive of me. My brother inspired me to play cricket and asked me to start practicing in seventh grade. I have played for Nepal for two times and we have also been in the semi-finals".
He has three younger brothers, she said.
During the ceremony, Philip Green said: "The Australian Government believes in supporting all people to achieve their potential and is committed to promoting gender equality and disability rights."
"I am very happy to work with our Indian cricket partners to promote the sport as a means to create a safe, welcoming and empowering space for women and girls," he said.
Meenakshi Lekhi emphasized the importance of Resilience, Reflection and Relationships (RRR) in fostering long-term success and growth at an event.
Reflecting on India's recent triumph at the 2024 T20 World Cup, she praised the participants for their resilience and celebrated their remarkable performances as a testament to their inner strength.
The Indian women's blind cricket team won the gold medal at the IBSA World Games on August 26 last year by defeating Australia in the final by 9 wickets.
