The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : BCCI's plan to boost other sports

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Apr 10, 2006

Sport

Sport - Cricket

BCCI's plan to boost other sports

Special Correspondent

Only India's Test players can wear the cap with the BCCI's crest on it.

Mumbai: The Board of Control for Cricket in India, determined to encourage multi-sports disciplines in India, has given a Rs. 50 crore boost to budding sportspersons in the under-15 age group with ambitions to compete and excel in international meets. The `foster a child' initiative of the BCCI president, Sharad Pawar, was approved at the Working Committee meeting at the C.K. Nayudu Hall, Cricket Club of India (CCI), here on Sunday.

"It's the responsibility of the BCCI to support young talent in sports that figure in the Asian Games and Olympics. The BCCI will pick the No. 1 in the under-15 age group and help them in training in India and abroad. The modalities have to be worked out and the BCCI Constitution has to be amended for this purpose.

"We will set aside Rs. 50 crores and add the proceeds of one off-shore match every year (around Rs. 40 crores) to build the corpus,'' Mr. Pawar said at a press conference.

Replying to whether the BCCI will identify the National under-15 winners with the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and the national sports federations, Mr. Pawar said: "First, we will amend the BCCI constitution and then start the process of selecting boys and girls for training in India and abroad.''

The BCCI has also revised the monthly pension of India's Test cricketers. A sum of Rs. 35,000 will be remitted to the bank accounts of players who have figured in 25 Tests or more and Rs. 25,000 to those who have played in less than 25. The cut-off date for either is December 31 (1993).

The widows of the Test cricketers will also receive the same amount. Those who have played for India in Tests and ODIs after December 31 (1993) and have retired since, and all international umpires (retired) will receive a sum of Rs. 10,000 per month.

Four venues confirmed

The BCCI, after negotiations with the International Cricket Council (ICC), has confirmed four venues — Cricket Club of India (Mumbai), Jaipur, Mohali and Ahmedabad — for the Champions Trophy to be held in October-November this year.

"The ICC has agreed to reduce the compensation money from $ one million to under $ 200,000 for the fourth venue. The ICC rejected Chennai and Bangalore because of the threat of rain and the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) informed the BCCI that it was not in a position to conduct the Champions Trophy games,'' said Mr. Pawar.

The Champions Trophy will be launched in New Delhi on April 27 in the presence of the ICC President, Ehsan Mani, and Mr. Pawar.

The BCCI president said that he respects Sunil Gavaskar's views on the India Test cap and it has been decided that only the Indian Test players will wear the cap with the BCCI's crest on it and that the support staff will not be allowed to wear it.

The Working Committee has authorised Mr. Pawar to choose eight venues in India for the 2011 World Cup. "The eight centres will have to send the compliance letter soon,'' said BCCI treasurer N. Srinivasan.

A special committee, comprising Chirayu Amin (vice-president, BCCI), Lalit Modi (vice-president, BCCI), Arun Jaitley (president, DDCA). I.S. Bindra (president, PCA) and Ajay Shirke (president, Maharashtra CA), has been asked to present a report on developing the 30-acre plot of land in New Delhi allotted to the BCCI by the Delhi Development Authority. The BCCI has already paid Rs. 25 lakhs for the land.

Dalmiya's case

Mr. Pawar was also authorised to take a decision on the course of action to be pursued against former BCCI president Jagmohan Dalmiya, who has replied to the show cause notice issued by the BCCI for alleged financial irregularities. According to a BCCI source, the matter has to come to the disciplinary committee.

Mr. Dalmiya is under investigation by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Mumbai police in another case following an FIR filed by the BCCI against him and three other former office-bearers. The EOW has completed the investigation and the matter will come up for hearing in the Bombay High Court on Monday afternoon.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail