Mumbai: Indian Deaf Cricket Association (IDCA) seventh T-20 National Cricket Championship for Deaf will kick-start on 25 September 2023 in Bhubaneshwar, Odisha. A total of 19 teams will take part in this seven-day-long championship to clinch the national championship trophy.
Teams divided into four different groups 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 on 1 October 2023, at East Coast Railway Sports Association Stadium, Bhubaneswar, Odisha.
IDCA president Sumit Jain said, “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. Together, we can continue to build a world where everyone has the opportunity to shine.”
“We are excited for the upcoming hearing-impaired cricket tournament to be held in Odisha and wish luck and success to all the teams participating in it,” he added.
IDCA CEO Roma Balwani 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. We are grateful to all our national & local support partners. We are overwhelmed by all the arrangements made by our host organisation, ODCA to welcome the teams. These athletes are looking for due recognition & are pleased to see the awareness IDCA has achieved for deaf cricket in India”.
The closing ceremony will commence at 3:30 p.m. on October 1, 2023, during which the winning team and players will be felicitated for their exceptional performance. 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 asserted “We are delighted to host IDCA 7th T20 National Cricket Championship for Deaf in Bhubaneshwar, Odisha. We are pleased to welcome teams from (19) teams deaf cricket associations invited by IDCA. Nurturing deaf cricket talent is truly a celebration and we are proud members of IDCA & look forward to this tournament that will create excitement, and goodwill & promote the cause of deaf cricket in the state of Odisha.”
He added, “We are grateful to Odisha Cricket Association, Youth, Sports Committee, Govt. Of Odisha and all our valuable partners for helping us with their support & motivation to hold this mega tournament across 4 cricket grounds.”
KFC India, Hero MotoCorp, Impact Research and Measurement, Nykaa, Airtel 5G plus, SAIL-Rourkela Steel Plany, Cognito and Kaizzen are IDCA’s support partners for the upcoming tournament.
Local support from OCAC, IDCO, Ruchi Spices, and SBI.
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