5 kg rice, mixer grinder, blanket, toothpaste…Jumbo household hamper for groundsmen at Wankhede’s 50th | Cricket News
Five kilograms each of wheat, rice and dal. A mixer grinder along with medical and hydration kits. Back-pack, mini kit bag and wa pouch. Tea bags and kettle. Towels and napkins. Pens and notepads. Bedsheet and pillow. T-shirt, track pants, shorts, socks, shoes, flip- flops, jackets, sunglasses, caps and hats. Toothbrush, toothpaste, soaps, hair oil, comb, blanket, umbrella, raincoat, utensils, sunscreen, and even sipper bottles.
These are the household items that were part of the jumbo gift hampers that the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) presented to its 178 active groundsmen to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the city’s iconic cricket venue – the Wankhede Stadium. The acknowledgement of the efforts cricket’s grassroot workers happens to be one of many events organised the MCA to celebrate the milestone of the stadium that houses the Indian cricket board headquarters and the venue where India won the 2011 World Cup. The celebrations, set to continue through the week, will end with a grand function on January 19.
Speaking to The Indian Express, MCA president Ajinkya Naik shared the thought behind the unique felicitation. “We could have given them money but that’s what we do all the time. We give them monetary bonuses for festivals and even when we host games. This time, we wanted to do something different and make their day memorable,” he said. “We decided to present them with everything that one uses throughout the day. It’s just a l of basic things. Their role most of the time goes unnoticed but they are the heartbeat of each ground and stadium.”
Also honoured at the Wankhede on Wednesday were members of Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy winning team of 1974. That Class of ’74 was the first Mumbai team to play at the Wankhede Stadium. Former players Karsan Ghavri, Padmakar Shivalkar, Ajit Pai, Milind Rege and Abdul Ismail – players from that title-winning team – were presented Rs 10 lakh each.
Naik says the MCA felt that along with the celebration, this was also an occasion to make the world aware about the hory of the Wankhede Stadium. “We want every stakeholder to take part in this anniversary year, each one has played a key role and we felt that we need to document our hory. So we have planned a grand function on January 19 where the India captains will be felicitated,” Naik adds.
Among those expected to attend the January 19 event are Indian cricket stars from Mumbai like Sunil Gavaskar, Sachin Tendulkar, Rohit Sharma, Dilip Vengsarkar, Ravi Shastri, Ajinkya Rahane, Suryakumar Yadav and Diana Edulji. A coffee table book and commemorative postal stamp will be released as well.
The Wankhede Stadium came into exence in 1974 after the Mumbai cricket body felt the need to have a ground of their own. Before that, cricket in Mumbai, Bombay back then, was held at the Brabourne stadium. It was the Test venue that hosted its first game in 1948. But cricket would get a new home in the city when the Bombay Cricket Association got into a dispute with the Brabourne management over ticket dribution for an international game.
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