The Hindu : Sport : Akhtar’s day out with special children

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Nov 13, 2007
ePaper

Sport

Sport

Akhtar’s day out with special children

— Photo: PTI

FOR A NOBLE CAUSE: Shoaib Akhtar with the students of Chetna Institute for the mentally challenged in Lucknow on Monday.

Lucknow: While most of the Indian and Pakistani cricketers preferred to remain confined to their hotel rooms, speedster Shoaib Akhtar planned his day out with special children.

Disappointed

Akhtar visited the Chetna Institute for mentally challenged, deaf and dumb students in the Aliganj area here, but was disappointed by the huge media presence which made it difficult for him to reach out to the children.

As soon as Akhtar entered the institute, photographers crowded around him to capture every movement of the bowler.

Some of the students started crying after they could not reach Akthar despite standing for hours with flowers to greet him.

“I wanted to talk to Akhtar but I could hardly see him,” complained one of the students.

Akhtar was somehow escorted to the playground, where he distributed sweets to children.

Consolation

Akhtar tried to console the child who told him that he had pain in his knees, saying that he too had a knee pain. He also played arm wrestling with one of the students of the institute.

Akhtar said he was associated with charity, which gives him satisfaction and it was his moral responsibility.

“I don’t care how media portrays me. Those who know me are aware what kind of person I am. I think it’s my social responsibility to do something for such children,” Akhtar said. — PTI

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