Dozens of disabled cricketers from India have travelled to the UAE to help break down barriers and show sport knows no boundaries.
Six teams from India’s Divyang Cricket League are in Sharjah to compete in a three-day Twenty20 tournament for sportsmen with physical disabilities that ends on Thursday. About 100 support staff also travelled to help promote the sport.
The group aims to encourage people with physical disabilities to take up the sport.
“They play great cricket and it does not matter that they are physically challenged,” said Mazhar Khan, manager of the Sharjah Cricket Stadium.
“They are a very competitive bunch and show that even if a person is playing with one hand or one leg, there is no stopping a person from competing. It can be a big boost to children with disabilities to know that they can meet the challenges they face and live their life.”
The T20 games were played without crowds due to Covid-19 restrictions.
The organisers hope the teams will return to spread awareness and that UAE players with special needs will be part of the competition.
The Divyang league also has players as part of a wheelchair cricket team and a women’s side that has played in cricket tournaments in India and overseas.
