National Cricket Championship for disabled kees off

Lucknow, Feb 21 (UNI) The third National Cricket Championship for the disabled was inaugurated at the KD Singh Babu Stadium with fanfare here today.

The three-day national championship is being organised jointly by Indian Cricket Federation for the Disabled (ICFD) and Mobility India, in which 18 teams from different states are taking part.

The league basis championship of 20 overs a side will be played on different stadiums of the city simultaniously.

The participating teams had been divided into six pools and top team of each pool will qualify for quarter finals, while holders and runners up of 2007 would get direct entry into the quarter finals.

The tournament was declared open by Uttar Pradesh Sports Minister Ayodhya Prasad Pal.

In his address, he emphasised the need to encourange disabled players instead of showing pitty towards them.

He added success would surely come to their way. ''Victory or Defeat hardly matters,'' he underlined.

Mr Pal said the state government was aware of these players and doing a lot of developmental works for them.

Assuring the organisers, he said the sports department would extend all possible help according to the existing rules.

Meanwhile, ICFD president Tribhuwan Ram said the cash reward of Rs 30,000 was hiked by Rs 20,000 for the winners of the tournament from this year and Rs 10,000 additional would be given by the PWD Diploma Engineers' Association.

UP Film Development Council president Yashwant Nikose was also present on the occasion.

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