Bhubaneshwar: Indian Deaf Cricket Association’s (IDCA) T-20 National Cricket Championship for Deaf will start here from September 25, the association said in a statement.
A total of 19 teams will take part in this seven-day-long championship.
Teams are divided into four different groups and will play a total of 42 matches with each other before making it to the finals. Hosted by the Odisha Deaf Cricket Association, the matches will be played on four different grounds across Bhubaneswar.
The final match will be played October 1, at East Coast Railway Sports Association Stadium, Bhubaneswar, Odisha.
“In the recent past deaf cricket has gained immense reorganisation in the country. We hope that awareness continues to grow with more specially-abled young people taking up sports as a career option. Sports is not only about physical prowess and skill; it is also a powerful medium for self-expression,” said Sumit Jain, president, IDCA.
Roma Balwani, CEO, IDCA, said, “We are delighted to be in Bhubaneswar with a huge presence of 19 teams for the first time, to play 43 matches across four grounds. Our hearing-impaired teams are excited to be here to compete with each other in the true spirit of sport. These athletes are looking for due recognition and are pleased to see the awareness IDCA has achieved for deaf cricket in India”.
The T-20 champions will receive a prize of Rs 1,00,000, while the runner-up will get Rs 50,000. The best individual sportsmen in categories such as batting, bowling, fielding, super sixes, and others will each receive a sum of Rs 5,000. The players of the match will be awarded Rs 2,100.
Odisha Deaf Cricket Association (ODCA) secretary Sagarkanta Senapati, “We will welcome teams from (19) teams deaf cricket associations invited by IDCA”.
PTI
