Features: Magazine | Literary Review | Life | Metro Plus | Open Page | Education Plus | Book Review | Business | SciTech | Friday Review | Young World | Property Plus | Quest | Folio |

Hunt on for cricketing eves

With more girls showing interest to master the willow game, Krishna District Women's Cricket Association has decided to spruce up one new practice facility every year in city, finds out J.R. SRIDHARAN

OVAL OFFICE The elliptical buildings and circular tracks on the premises of half-a-century-old Andhra Loyola College look like identical twins. A view from Gunadala Hill PHOTO: CH. VIJAYA BHASKAR

Women cricket in Vijayawada is witnessing an upward trend, thanks to the relentless efforts of the Krishna District Women's Cricket Association to take the game to very corner of the city. Buoyed by the success of Andhra Pradesh girls Mythili Raj, Purnima Rao, Lakshmi and Rajani Venugopal, who went on to present Team India, more and more girls from the lower middle class in Vijayawada are showing interest to master the game.

After setting up practice nets at Patamata Stadium and Bhavani Housing Board Colony, KDWCA set up two new nets at St. Joseph's Girls High School at Gunadala also.

Says KDWCA organising secretary N. Satyaprasad: "The association has resolved to set up one new practice facility in different localities of the city every year with an aim to develop the game. While the Patamata and Bhavanipuram nets are helpful for girls in the surrounding areas to hone their skills, the nets at St Joseph Girl High School will be a God-sent boon for girls from the Gunadala area."

The action plan to spread the game in very corner of the city has become impetrative as the association is finding it difficult to get teams to participate in the senior, junior and sub-junior segments.

"As per the rule of the federation, the association should nurture teams of various age groups. It will be impossible to identify talented players for all age groups, if the activity gets confined to one place," explained KDWCA president Ch. Krishna Kumari. The efforts of the association, which intensified its activities since 2003, bore results as young Durga Bhavani, a student from SKPVV Hindu High School, emerged as a talented national player. She won four gold medals in the seven nationals she participated in.

The Krishna District Sports Authority is also lending a helping hand in providing the equipment for effective use of the nets. "Sports Authority of Andhra Pradesh has donated five nets, three mats and a dozen cricket balls to the association. As a policy decision, we are also taking care of the travelling expenses of the players participating in the inter-district competitions. We also donated a complete kit worth Rs 12,000 to the association to enable the players to practice in a proper manner," said District Sports Development Officer B. Sudhakar.

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