http://www.telegraphindia.com/1141016/jsp/jharkhand/story_18930929.jsp#.VFEfS7dxmd4 Teenaged all-rounder from state bags Team India berth for Cape Town ODI for the blind
ANIMESH BISOEE Golu Kumar His keen ears hear the ball as he takes stance and swings his bat. Sometimes, he misses. Most often, he hits. Meet 15-year-old cricketer Golu Kumar from Team India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni's hometown. But, even Dhoni will agree that Golu is more special. The completely blind all-rounder is the only player from Jharkhand to be selected in the 17-member Indian team for the 4th ODI Cricket Tournament for the Blind in Cape Town, South Africa, from November 25 to December 9. The tourney will have teams from 10 Test playing countries. The president of Cricket Association for the Blind (Jharkhand), Vivek Kumar Singh, on Wednesday, received a letter from his outfit headquarters in New Delhi about Golu's selection. "This is a proud moment for the state. Golu is the first blind player from Jharkhand to have been selected in the Indian cricket team for an international match," said an elated Singh. Son of Rajesh Bihari Lal, a civil contractor at Booty, Golu lost his eyesight as a two-year-old in 2000 due to a tumour. He now studies in Class X at St Michael's Blind School in Ranchi. Speaking to The Telegraph over phone, the cricketer comes across as cool and composed. "Yes, its my first big break. I'd like to play well and someday lead my team just like my idol Dhoni," he says. His favourite players? "Dhoni and Yuvi (Yuvraj Singh)," he says in a flash. "This is incredible," said his father. "Even as a child, Golu loved to listen to cricket commentaries on TV," he said, admitting that he can't imagine how his son manages to make the bat-ball co-ordination. "It's a rare gift," he said. In school, Golu's sports teacher Devdas Vishwakarma first noticed his spark and made the boy start young. Golu was noticed at the zonal (east zone) cricket tournament for the blind in Cuttack, Odisha, in November 2013, and nationals in Bangalore this January. In his international debut against Australia in Bangalore this April, he hit a boundary and took a wicket. He was picked in the Indian team based on his performance at the trial-cum-camp held in Bangalore between September 22-26 this year. Country manager (game promotion) and treasurer for Cricket Association of Blind in India as well as Indian team manager David John, speaking to The Telegraph from New Delhi, said Golu was the youngest player in the Indian team. "As an all-rounder, he's just immensely talented. It's a pleasure to watch him on the field. Cricket for the visually impaired has different parameters but still, a good game is a good game," John said. Golu will leave for a three-week conditioning camp to Cuttack from November 1, from where he will go to Delhi and then fly to South Africa. In blind cricket, Golu bowls underarm with a ball made of hard plastic so that it does not bounce much. It also has a mechanism to make a rattling sound as it hits ground and must drop before half-crease. According to norms, when the batsman says "ready", the bowler responds by calling out "play", which signals that he would now throw the ball. There are three categories of players in blind cricket -- B1 (completely sightless), B2 (visibility up to 3-5 metres) and B3 (vi -- Avinash Shahi Doctoral student at Centre for Law and Governance JNU Clean India Campaign: Let us also chip in! Register at the dedicated AccessIndia list for discussing accessibility of mobile phones / Tabs on: http://mail.accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/mobile.accessindia_accessindia.org.in Search for old postings at: http://www.mail-archive.com/accessindia@accessindia.org.in/ To unsubscribe send a message to accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in Disclaimer: 1. Contents of the mails, factual, or otherwise, reflect the thinking of the person sending the mail and AI in no way relates itself to its veracity; 2. AI cannot be held liable for any commission/omission based on the mails sent through this mailing list..
