The 28-year-old Shiva Prasad is nationally No. 2-ranked wheelchair tennis player, but there is no stopping him when it comes to cricket. In the busy and exhilarating months of the Indian summer where cricketers from around the world descend to India to compete in the rigorous Indian Premier League (IPL), Prasad, who is the managing trustee of the Divyaang Myithri Sports Academy (DMSA) is organising a wheelchair cricket tournament. As many as four teams from states such as Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka will be competing in the tournament to be played with the season ball, promising stiff challengers to the participating athletes.

The tournament will be played on April 29 and 30 in the South Indian city of Bengaluru, and one-day league tournament games will be played out on the first day. The final of the tournament will be played on April 30 in Bengaluru, with 20 overs per side. The league round games will be played for 12 overs per side, and all the games will be contested on matting pitches.

The aim of the wheelchair cricket tournament will be to bring the differently-abled persons interested in the sport to one platform, where they can harness their skills and try and represent the country at international level. “The core existence of Divyaang Myithri Sports Academy is to encourage differently-abled persons to take up sports at very young age and help the qualified para athletes to achieve their goal by providing specialised training, infrastructure, and equipment and assist them financially to participate in national and international events,” Prasad informed over an email interaction.

The tournament will be played at St John’s Medical Ground, and for making it a success, the organisation, whose aim is to promote para-sports and its athletes, will need monetary help. For those interested, contributions to DMSA can be made here.

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