UPCA to honour cricketers on Feb 3
Around three dozen cricketers, including the members of the Under-19 team, which emerged national champion last year, would be felicitated by the Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association at a function on February 3, at the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium here at 3.00 p.m.
BCCI’s secretary Jay Shah would be the chief guest of the ceremony. All the UPCA officials, including its one of the directors and the BCCI’s vicepresident, Rajiv Shukla would also be present at the ceremony.
“There would be around 30-35 cricketers, including the under-19 team members, and those who played for India in the Under-19 World Cup early this year along with some IPL stars etc., would be felicitated,” an UPCA official said on Thursday.
He also confirmed that before the start of the felicitation ceremony, UPCA’s apex council meeting would also take place at the same venue at 1 p.m.
CRICKET ACADEMY
In a first of its kind, the Allahabad Cricket Association has decided to launch its own cricket academy in the name of former director sports and UP Ranji Trophy captain, Anand Shukla, at the CAV College Ground in Allahabad.
The Anand Shukla Cricket Academy, which aims to nurture talent in the city, which has produced an umpteen number of national and international cricketers like Mohd Kaif, Jyoti Yadav, Shalabh Srivastava etc., will start functioning from February 9.
The academy happens to be the first by any affiliated of the
UP Cricket Association, which has its own Kamla Club Cricket Academy. “Well-known Kala brothers i.e. Lal Bihari and Kishan Bihari would impart training to the kids, including girls at the academy,” ACA’s coordinator, RP Bhatnagar states in a release on Thursday.
Senior advocate of the Supreme Court and former Ranji Trophy player Rakesh Dwivedi has been named chief patron of the academy, whereas UPCA’s one of the directors Tahir Hasan would act as mentor. Former UP cricketer Julie Ojha has been named director of the academy.
COLLEGE CHESS
Vyomkesh Mishra emerged victorious in the Lucknow’s BSNVPGG College Inter-Faculty Chess Championship here. In the fifth and final round, Mishra defeated Bharti Yadav in a thriller.