More than 1,200 individuals with special needs — including persons with autism and visual impairments — and those from vulnerable backgrounds gathered at Eden Gardens on Sunday to watch Kolkata Knight Riders take on Delhi Capitals in their final IPL match of the season.
Many of them were first-timers at the Eden Gardens and said it was like a “dream come true.”
The home team were knocked out of the playoffs race on Sunday evening after Rajasthan Royals defeated Mumbai Indians, becoming the fourth and last team to make it to the playoffs. The game at Mumbai ended around 15 minutes into the Eden match, meaning KKR fans who had flocked to the Eden were still hopeful of their team making the cut.
The initiative to book the entire lower tier of the D Block came from an inspector of Kolkata Police, who had been handling the unit that monitors SOS calls made to 100.
“I wanted them to experience the electrifying atmosphere inside the stadium as well. I have been told that most of them had never visited Eden Gardens before. I am grateful to KKR for arranging tickets for these special individuals, and also thankful to Kolkata Police for providing all the logistical support,” said inspector Subrata Das, officer-in-charge of 100 Dial.
Das, who is also attached to multiple NGOs, said this initiative stemmed from the idea of “social inclusiveness.”
Sudip Kanti Ghosh of Autism Society West Bengal said around 10 children and adults from the organisation, along with their guardians, were present at the venue on
Sunday.
“This is a unique initiative. Our children are super excited. Many of them are here for the first time. We had given them an idea by showing them videos and photographs. When they reached the venue and saw the ground, they were spellbound,” Ghosh said.
The mother of a child with autism who is non-verbal said she has trained her son for the day by showing her videos and photographs of the stadium.
“He responded with a spark in his eyes. He looked back at me after he showed a video of the stadium on the phone, indicating that he had understood,” the mother said.
Around 100 visually impaired individuals were also among those invited to watch the match.
“Our boys regularly follow cricket commentary on their smartphones, and some of them are avid IPL fans. But when I told them they would get a chance to experience the atmosphere at Eden Gardens in person, they were absolutely thrilled,” said Biswajit Ghosh, principal of the Society for the Welfare of the Blind in Narendrapur.
Ghosh said many of his students from Krishnanagar, north Bengal and Midnapore joined to “feel the match.”
Ghosh added that just as people with normal vision watch and respond to the action on the field, visually impaired individuals react to the sounds and atmosphere around them.
“They were thrilled to be invited today,” Ghosh said.
The famous Eden roar thrilled them. The decibel level went up several notches at the fall of the first wicket for Delhi Capitals. The students celebrated along with the rest of the stands.
A 16-year-old Class X student from a school run by the Future Hope NGO was among those who visited Eden Gardens on Sunday.
“This was a completely different experience for me,” said the teenager, who captains one of Future Hope NGO’s cricket teams.
Sourav Chatterjee, superintendent of Ashirbad Boys Home under the Hope Kolkata Foundation, said around 50 individuals from the home had also come to watch the match.