A league of their own

It ain't just Bhajji who can bowl you over. Special teams from all over Asia are playing at the International Cricket Carnival for the Intellectually Disabled, and that's what we call a real challenge

It ain't just Bhajji who can bowl you over. Special teams from all over Asia are playing at the International Cricket Carnival for the Intellectually Disabled, and that's what we call a real challenge

While you were ogling at cheerleaders on television, others were busy leading a better cause. That of ensuring fair play for those ostracized and outcast, underrated and over-pitied. The result: an International Cricket Carnival for the Intellectually Disabled, beginning tomorrow.



35,866 coaches, 6,10,885 athletes
Sounds like an unbelievable Indian number for a tournament so niche? Swallow it. Six countries, namely China, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Malaysia, Nepal, and four teams from India are participating in this global movement, aimed to provide an international platform to players with intellectual disability. The Delhi Government and Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports, Government of India, are supporting the mega event. And if you thought there'd be no glamour to look forward to, let us tell you, biggies Akshay Kumar, Wasim Akram, Kapil Dev, Ajay Jadeja and Rajya Vardhan Singh Rathore are the brand ambassadors of the affair. "We want to harness the hidden potential of these children and show it to the world, so that they earn the same respect," says hockey stalwart Dhanraj Pillai, an avid endorser. Those fielding for a few moments of fun include teenagers with mental disabilities like autism and hyperactivity, and some,u00a0 physically challenged, too. The sport follows a Twenty20 format.u00a0u00a0

With love, from Chicago
Special Olympics was the brain child of Eunice Kennedy Shriver. The games began in 1968, with its first session at Soldier Field in Chicago. The legacy continues. Today, the crusade has more than 3.1 million athletes, 227 Special Olympics Programs in 175 countries and seven regional offices around the world, including Ireland, Egypt, South Africa, India, China, Panama, and United States.

Indian coming
The first Indian leg of the contest was held in Mumbai back in 2006. Those who joined ambassadors Akki and Wasim Akram were Sunil Gavaskar, Morad Ali Khan, Rahul Bose, Lara Dutta and Sonali Bendre, among others. As the do makes its debut in Delhi, the organisers hope you'll be there to show some concern. "What sets it apart from the usual IPL and Test matches is that it's cricket without boundaries," stresses Kartikay Saini, trustee and advisory to the federation. Then, he goes on to say something that'll tug at a heart-string or two. "These are children who'd otherwise probably never sit in school, get married or live the life you do." So, making it a bit more special just by being there doesn't hurt.

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