BHUBANESWAR 17-Feb-2017
Recognition continued to flow for visually impaired Odisha cricketers Mohammad Jafar Iqbal and Sukhram Majhi as Smt Nandini Satpathy Memorial Trust (SNSMT) felicitated the duo here today for helping India win the T20 World Cup for the Blind for the second successive time earlier this month.
In an informal meeting, held at Suryanagar, SNSMT Chairman and veteran sports champion Suparno Satpathy greeted Iqbal with bouquet, lauded his superlative performance in the T20 World Cup and wished him many more laurels in the days to come. Majhi, however, could not join the occasion as he had to rush to his native place Koraput for an urgent work.
During their interaction, Iqbal thanked people of Odisha for supporting cricket for the visually impaired and admitted that he was getting the recognition of a sport star after his showings in the World Cup. ``Earlier people were not giving importance to blind cricketers. But after the World Cup triumph the notion has changed. Now people recognize me at the airport and other public places and also take selfies with me,’’ he narrated.
Local allrounder Iqbal, however, felt that cricket for visually impaired in the state is still lacking facilities to grow and practitioners of the sport in general are not getting the help and support they deserve. ``Blind cricketers from Odisha have always made their presence felt in the National team. We have been asserting our supremacy in the East Zone Championship. We have also been crowned National champions. But despite so much achievements, we are lacking a proper ground for regular practice,’’ he pointed out.
``Blind cricketers generally come from economically weaker families. They are unable to afford good bat, shoes and other equipment. They do not have job opportunities. Though I am an employee of State Civil Supplies Corporation, I do not get adequate special leave to play tournaments,’’ lamented Iqbal.
Expressing his concern for the plight of the visually impaired cricketers of the state, Satpathy, a grandson of Nandini Satpathy, assured all possible help for their betterment. ``SNSMT is keen to provide hand-holding support to visually challenged cricketers of Odisha. This will be a long-term arrangement, taking care of their various needs.
SNSMT Chairman also thanked Cricket Association for the Visually Impaired, Odisha, general secretary Sannyas Behera for his immense contribution and felicitated him for becoming the first visually impaired candidate to clear OAS examination. Iqbal’s wife Sagufta Parween and Prakash Rath, Area Director, Special Olympics Bharat-Odisha were present on the occasion.
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PHOTO: SNSMT Chairman Suparno Satpathy (Right) with Jafar Iqbal (Left) and Sannyas Behera in Bhubaneswar on February 17, 2017.
