Inadequate wheelchair causes Abhishek to walk 1 km to seat; MCA Secretary Naik steps in

Abhishek Singh at the Wankhede Stadium on Saturday

If you have love and passion for the game, you will find ways to enjoy it. Abhishek Singh, 27, a cerebral palsy patient, walked for around one kilometre from Gate No.7 to enter the Wankhede Stadium's MCA Pavilion to witness Saturday's England v South Africa game.

MCA coordinator Adhir Kajri tried to get a wheelchair for Abhishek at the stadium's entrance, but his effort went in vain.

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"Abhishek has cerebral palsy and he is not able to walk. During an IPL game last season, there was a wheelchair and he had used it. But for this World Cup game, I didn't see it. Ideally, a wheelchair should have been provided. We requested the security personnel for a wheelchair at the gate, but it was not provided. Hence, he had to walk a lot, almost one km," a relative of Abhishek told mid-day.

Meanwhile, Kajri said: "He is a handicapped person, so I requested security for a wheelchair and they provided it, but that wheelchair was meant for kids only."
Later, when this reporter informed MCA secretary Ajinkya Naik about Abhishek's difficulty in getting a proper wheelchair, he visited Garware Club and arranged one which would help Abhishek return to Gate No.7 after the game. "I will personally see to it that he will not face any problem while going back home," Naik remarked.