A cricket coach based in Siliguri, Abhishek Sikdar, has opened a cricket academy in the city to make the sport accessible to all children, regardless of their socio-economic background.
On June 29, the Baghajatin Mukta Mancha Cricket Academy opened in Baghajatin Colony, a locality in ward 2 of the Siliguri Municipal Corporation area.
“We have opened the academy on the ground in the ward. The pitch and areas for net practices have recently been completed. The academy was formally inaugurated in the presence of residents and aspiring cricketers. This field is an ideal location for structured cricket learning. Our primary goal is to provide free cricket coaching to underprivileged children," Sikdar said.
"Many dream of playing cricket but cannot afford to pay coaching fees or buy cricket kits. We want to change that,” Sikdar added.
A resident of Siliguri, Sikdar played cricket at the university level and first division cricket league in Calcutta. He trained as a cricket coach from the Cricket Association of Bengal, the Sports Authority of India, Patiala, and at a coaching centre in Hyderabad.
The initiative, he said, was taken with the help of Gargi Chatterjee, the local councillor, who provided the space for the academy to run.
“We will also provide essential cricket gear such as bats, pads, gloves, and other items to students who cannot afford them. At the academy, focus would be on identifying and nurturing genuine talents, especially to those who have stayed outside the reach of formal cricket training due to financial hardship,” the coach added.
Councillor Chatterjee said Sikdar brought over a decade’s experience in coaching to the table.
“This academy aligns with my vision of inclusive development at the ward level," Chatterjee said.
"There are many financially weak families here. If their children have an interest in cricket, we must support them. This academy is for them," she added.
The councillor said that there were plans to open a football academy in the ward as well.
Manoj Verma, the former cricket secretary of Siliguri Mahakuma Krira Parishad, the subdivisional sports body, said cricket was more than just a sport in India and a free academy could transform many young lives.
“Children in Siliguri and their parents are very interested in cricket. We hope this academy trains budding cricketers who can excel in the sport, irrespective of gender, age and financial condition,” said Verma.