Rural students to watch Australia-India match at Mohali

Patiala, Oct 9 (UNI) The children of rural schools in Punjab will get a chance to see their favourite cricket stars in action during the India-Australia test match commencing at the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) stadium at Mohali on October 17.

Around 25,000 students of rural areas in the state are expected to be transported free of cost to the PCA stadium for viewing the test match. This will be a life time chance for these students, some of whom may not have stepped out of their villages.

The man behind this move if Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president and MP, Sukhbir Singh Badal, who himself is a cricket buff. Rumours are doing the rounds in Mohali about Sukhbir Badal having joined hands with film actress, Preity Zinta to promote her Punjab Lions team for the IPL Twenty-20 cricket.

The Punjab Director General School Education (DGSE) has written to all the deputy commissioners to provide transport to interested students from class 6 to 10 from their districts for taking them to Mohali.

Official sources said here today that the DGSE held a meeting with all the district education officers (DEOs) recently at Chandigarh and directed them to organise the trip of the students to Mohali.

Around 5,000 students would be transported to PCA stadium daily for the five day test match. The PCA will not charge any entry fee from the rural students and will also provide them free food on all the five days.

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