We Can Do It Too
International T20 cricket starts for the disabled
by Md. Abu Talha Sarker
With the slogan, We Can Do It Too, the first multi-national ICRC International T20 Cricket Tournament for People with Physical Disabilities began in Dhaka on Sept 2.
The event is organised by International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in close partnership with Ministry of Youth and Sports, Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) and Bangladesh Krira Shikkha Prothisthan (BKSP).
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina as the chief guest inaugurated the international tournament at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium (SBNCS), where the hosts Bangladesh are scheduled to face-off England in the curtain raiser of the meet.
But due to nationwide torrential downpours the tournament was bodily shifted at BKSP from September 2 to September 4. Thereafter, both ground-3 and 4 of BKSP are hosting the matches of the tournament.
Ten matches of the group phase will be played in round-robin format, with a final to be played between the two best teams. The final of the first-ever competition to an extended range will be staged at the BKSP ground-4 on September 10.
Im very happy to inaugurate the first ICRC International T20 Tournament for People with Physical Disabilities, said Sheikh Hasina in her welcome speech.
Disability is not a disease; its a challenge. Disability of any form cannot stand in the way of pursuing a dream. Disability is no barrier in sports and games and even with disability, excellence can be achieved with determination and hard work, the prime minister said during the inaugural ceremony.
Cricket is a game which is very close to the heart of the people of Bangladesh. I am sure that this tournament will bring to mind passion and excitement and will go a long way in creating awareness, she added.
State minister for Youth and Sports Biren Shikdar, deputy minister for Youth and Sports Arif Khan Joy, BCB president Nazmul Hassan Papon, MP, BKSP director general Brig.Gen Ali Murtoza Khan and Christine Cipolla, head of delegation, ICRC-Bangladesh were graced the occasion as special guests.
Inspired by the tournament BCB president Nazmul Hassan Papon vowed to open a new wing for physically-challenged person in BCB soon, bringing the divided segments of the disabled people under one platform.
Weve seen that some more organizations currently involved with disabled cricketers. Some are working with visually impaired group while others are working with disabled people. Were planning to launch a separate wing in BCB, which will work with the physically-challenged people, Nazmul Hassan said.
Besides them, captains of five participating teams including Mohammad Ashraf Khan of Afghanistan, Dinesh Kumar of India, Hasnain Alam of Pakistan, Alam Khan of Bangladesh and Iain Nairn of England were also present. On September 1, the jersey and trophy of the tournament had been unveiled in the presence of the skippers of the participating nations.
Well play the tournament with the 3-4 months training experience. But its great thing for us that well play for Bangladesh. Well try our best to bring glory and pride for the country, Alam Khan, skipper of home side, said in his reaction.
India, Pakistan and Afghanistan are the other teams in the meet which will help to bring on surface the problems of physically handicapped people and do its bit for social integration through sports participation.
Bangladesh ODI and Twenty20 skipper Mashrafe Bin Mortaza has been selected as the brand ambassador of the event. ICC have sent their development officer, Aminul Islam Bulbul, in the tournament as an observe though it is not a ICC regulated tournament.
England Physical Disability Cricket team arrived in Dhaka as the first foreign team to play ICRC International Twenty20 Cricket Tournament for People with Physical Disabilities on August 28, just five days ahead of the event.
All India Cricket Association for the Physically Challenged team landed on September 1, while their arch-rival Pakistan Disabled Cricket Association Team and Afghanistan Physical Disabled Cricket team reached on August 31.
All the teams are accommodated at the dormitories of the BKSP.
Christine Cipolla, head of delegation of ICRC-Dhaka, said that this is just beginning. They have plans to extend the number of teams across the globe in future and organise the tournament to an extended range.
We, ICRC, took an initiative to organise a cricket tournament in 2013. As part of it, we started communicating with other country like Bangladesh. We brought cricket expert from England, who trained up the local to sort out the players through a talent hunt programme across the country. The present cricket squad is the output of their efforts, Christine Cipolla told media.
According to Bangladeshs census around 10 per cent of the nations populace has some kind of handicap i.e. around 16 million people. According to CRP unsafe working conditions usually lead to injuries and physical harm. Many a times people try to climb trees and fall from it leading to disabilities.
In 2013 Bangladesh government enacted a disability act although the act has not lived up to its expectations and the goals that the establishment wanted to achieve. At present, too many non-government and government organisations are working for physically handicapped people across the country.
We can say a big change has already started occurring beacuse of awareness and social initiatives by NGOs. Only better days are ahead. Once implemented, the disability act will bring about a lot of change. Perceptions are also changing. More parents are coming forward with their children with disabilities. They are not hiding the condition of their children, said Abdul Ahad, director-Disability and Leadership Programme- Physically-Challenged Development Foundation (PDF).
