It was a day of celebration and pride at Eden Gardens as the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) rolled out a grand felicitation for India’s World Cup-winning cricketer Richa Ghosh in the presence of chief minister Mamata Banerjee.
The state government conferred upon Richa the prestigious Banga Bhushan award and appointed her as an honorary deputy superintendent of police (DSP) in West Bengal.
The CAB, led by president Sourav Ganguly, presented the Siliguri wicketkeeper-batter with a cheque of Rs 34 lakh, symbolic of her 34 runs in the World Cup final, along with a golden bat and ball.
The event turned into a festival of sorts, attended by Mamata, sports minister Aroop Biswas, minister of state Manoj Tiwary, former Team India captain Sourav Ganguly, legendary pacer Jhulan Goswami, and several CAB officials.
The felicitation began with the traditional uttariya, flowers and sweets, before Mamata herself handed over the golden bat, the Banga Bhushan, a golden chain and the DSP appointment letter to Richa.
“Richa will win the world with love — again and again. Mental strength is the greatest strength of all. You must keep working hard, overcome difficulties, and reach your goal. You have to fight, perform, play, and win,” said Mamata in her address.
Ganguly, too, lauded the 21-year-old’s rise. “We want Richa to one day reach the heights Jhulan Goswami did. Someday, we hope to stand here and say: Richa is the captain of India,” he said.
The Eden crowd roared in delight as Bengal’s only cricketer from the World Cup-winning team was celebrated with grandeur. The 21-year-old’s power-hitting in the tournament, including record 12 sixes, proved pivotal in India’s triumph, with crucial knocks in both the semifinal and final.
After returning home to Siliguri on Friday, Richa received a hero’s welcome. The city’s mayor, Goutam Deb, personally greeted her at Bagdogra airport, where she walked a red carpet before taking an open-car ride through streets lined with banners, hoardings and cheering fans.
Local clubs and organisations organised their own felicitation events as the city proudly hailed its “golden girl.”
