26 June,2018 03:35 PM IST | Mumbai | Subodh Mayure
The World Cup-winning Indian blind cricket team with the trophy and former Test wicketkeeper Syed Kirmani at Sharjah earlier this year. India beat Pakistan in a thrilling final. File Pic
The Cricket Association for the Blind in India (CABI) are upset with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) after eliciting no response over the tall promises made by them after the Indian blind cricket team won the 40-over World Cup for the fifth time in succession, beating Pakistan last January.
During CABI's eighth Annual General Meeting held over the weekend at Bangalore's Chinnaswamy Stadium, members from the 22 affiliated units were shocked that the BCCI had not lived up to their promises.
GK Mahantesh
Members shocked
"It is quite sad as the BCCI promised to give us a grant of Rs 1 crore but we have received only Rs 25 lakh so far. Our state units created an issue at the AGM when they were informed about this. There has been no development since we last met the BCCI officials on March 1 in Mumbai," CABI president GK Mahantesh told mid-day over the phone from Bangalore yesterday.
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The CABI president also claimed that the BCCI had promised to provide ground facilities, support staff, pension to former blind cricketers and make their travel arrangements for tournaments, but that too has not happened, said Mahantesh.
Thakur's tall claims
Last year, the then BCCI president Anurag Thakur had announced that the BCCI will grant Rs 1 crore every year to CABI for a period of five years after the Indian blind cricket team won their second T20I World Cup.
CABI's secretary John David said that the Indian cricket board is not responding to their emails. "After our meeting with the BCCI four months ago, we were hopeful that our blind cricket team will get professional coaching and access to top facilities.
"We have sent a few reminder emails to the BCCI, but there has been no response. Our members were shocked when they were informed that the CABI has received only Rs 25 lakh from the BCCI so far," lamented David. BCCI's chief executive officer Rahul Johri did not respond to mid-day's calls or messages.
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