While Australian and Indian men's cricket teams are currently facing off on a cricket pitch in India, young Australian kids have come together to pitch in to help young, needy kids aspiring to the game in India.
An 11-year-old Australian boy, an aspiring cricketer himself, has kicked off a campaign to collect used cricket gear for needy but talented young cricketers in India.
It was a cricket documentary aired on FOX Cricket that inspired Brisbane-based NJ to do something to help these talented kids in India who play with minimal resources.
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“We saw ‘A Cricket Empire’, a documentary featuring children from the small town which showed how a small town was preparing young talent with minimum resources… they were using a carpet as a pitch,” NJ told SBS Hindi.
“When I was watching it, I immediately felt like doing something for them. I have so much cricket gear that I have grown out of. And I thought there should be many like me who have used cricket gear which is not being used. That’s how Bats for Bhadohi was born,” he said.
NJ with his father and coach, Nic Kossen, and mother started a campaign via social media to collect used cricket gear across Australia to send it to the Cricket Performance Point which helps young, talented and often-disadvantaged youth of Bhadohi, a small town in Uttar Pradesh in India, to play and pursue cricket.
Source: Supplied
“One week into the campaign and we have collected helmets, balls, pads, bats which will soon be sent to kids in India,” Nic tells SBS Hindi.
When asked how much they have collected, NJ says they are ‘beyond counting’.
“We have people writing to us from Western Australia, South Australia. We are now raising funds to be able to send this huge consignment to India,” Mr Kossen says.
When asked how much they have collected, NJ says they are ‘beyond counting’.
“We are so thankful to young kids and cricketers who have especially become ambassadors for the cause. It is teaching them how they are effecting change and helping others in need.”
The ‘Bats for Bhadohi’ campaigners will be celebrating B4B Wrist Wrap Day on March 16 by wearing the B4B wrist wraps to raise awareness about their campaign.
“We will be collecting used cricket gear for the next two weeks and then hope to ship the big container to Bhadohi in India by May,” he says.
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