Abdul Jabbar Faisal
ISLAMABAD: The 6-day training camp for visually impaired women and girls concluded here at Margzar cricket ground on Monday that was organized by Australian High Commission to Pakistan in collaboration with the Pakistan Blind Cricket Council (PBCC) and Serena Hotels.
Australian High Commissioner Neil Hawkins said:
“Australia’s support aims to provide more women and girls with disabilities the opportunities to compete and demonstrate their ability, while promoting inclusion in sport. We hope to break gender stereotypes and negative perceptions associated with people with disabilities through our support of this initiative. Australia and Pakistan share a passion for cricket, so we are happy to support the Pakistan Blind Cricket Council’s efforts to bring women and girls living with disabilities into the sport,”.
Chairman PBCC Syed Sultan Shah said:
“Blind Cricket is a sport that has gained popularity in recent years for its unique approach to inclusivity. It provides an opportunity for people with visual impairments to compete at a high level, develop their skills and confidence, and become people of vision, both on and off the field. I hope that this initiative will inspire more people with disabilities to participate in sports and lead fulfilling lives.”
It is pertinent to mention here that the two blind factory workers invented blind cricket in Melbourne, Australia, in 1922 when they improvised the game using a tin can containing rocks. A few years later, in 1928, the first sports ground and clubhouse for blind cricket was built at Kooyong in Melbourne.
