Cricket's new pitch: Hitting boundaries for disability inclusion

The British Deputy High Commission Kolkata in collaboration with the Indo-British Scholars’ Association (IBSA), Rotary Club of Kolkata Metro City and Connections hosted an event to mark the International Day of Persons with Disabilities 2024on December 18.

The event focused on amplifying leadership in disability cricket and brought together differently abled cricketers from the West Bengal Cricket Association for Differently Abled. The panel discussion threw light on harnessing the leadership potential of differently abled cricketers, celebrating inclusion, resilience and the power of the sport. Dr. Jane Powell, Performance Manager, Disability Cricket, England and Wales Cricket Board and Rob Tipping, Head of Cricket Programmes, Lord’s Taverners joined online from London and highlighted the various disability cricket initiatives that they have been undertaking to raise awareness of this game. A panel discussion on ‘Amplifying the Leadership in Disability Cricket’ involvedDr. Andrew Fleming, Sarbani Bhattacharya, Ritushree Guha and Utpal Majumdar.The panel discussion was moderated by Amit Senguptaand focussed on the importance of accessibility in sports, breaking barriers and promoting equal opportunities for people with disabilities.

Dr. Andrew Fleming, British Deputy High Commissioner to East and Northeast India reflected on the topic and said: “Apart from being good for one’s health, sports is an immensely powerful medium to develop many life skills. It should be available and accessible to all, including the differently abled people. India has produced great players in cricket, badminton, archery and more, and among them there are some participants at our event too. However, there is a long way to go to make sports truly accessible to everyone across India and the wider world.”