Each run to teach one; Punter bats to educate kids

New Delhi, June 15 (UNI) It would not be just the Australian squad which would reap benefit from Ricky Ponting's formidable bat.

For every time the Aussie skipper scores a run in the international cricket, an underprevileged Indian kid would get to go to school.

Launching its new scheme 'Run Ricky Run' today, ING Vysya Bank announced that it would send one kid to primary education with every ODI run that flows from the bat of prolific Aussie scorer in one year from September 2007.

Ricky Ponting plays his next ODI on September 29 against India in Bangalore.

''I think it's an honour to be associated with such a cause,'' Ponting said at the launch of the scheme here in the Capital.

''It's upto me to score plenty of runs and help send thousands of children to school,'' he said and quipped, ''There would be added pressure on me everytime I come to bat next.'' In one of the corporate social responsibility initiative by the Bank, the ING Vysya Foundation has partnered with a Banglaore-based NGO, Sukrupa, to select children to be benefited from the scheme.

''Sukrupa will pick up destitute children from Tamil Nadu and North Karnataka for this scheme,'' ING Vysya Regional CEO (North and East) Sanjeev Kumar Srivastava told UNI.

Around 1,500 children have already been educated so far since last year, under other schemes, he added.

UNI