kolkata: Sovendu Mahata, a resident of Garh Salboni in Jhargram district of Bengal, will be the lone player from the state to represent India in the upcoming T20 World Cup Cricket for the Blind, to be held in December.
Mahata who has undergone a lot of hardship to fulfill his dreams had lost his vision at a tender age of 5 after he met with an accident. He consulted the best of doctors but his eyesight could not be restored.
Mahata has been representing the Bengal team under Cricket Association for the Blind of Bengal for eight years and has made it to the Indian Cricket national team for the Blind by dint of his stupendous performance in recent times.
"We have seven T 20 matches with Sri Lanka in the next month as practice for the World Cup and I want to perform to the best of my ability and carry my good form into the World Cup,"Mahata said.
The Jhargram district police led by its superintendent Arijit Sinha felicitated Mahata for his exploits and handed over cricket bat along with other sports gear to him.
"We wish him all the best for the future and pray for his success in the upcoming competition. He is a role model for the blind as well as for persons who are physically challenged," a senior official of Jhargram police said.
Mahata who hails from Kaima village has done his schooling from Vivekananda Mission Residential School for the Blind based in Haldia. He then completed his graduation and post graduation from Rabindra Bharati University. Presently he is doing B.Ed from Sharif B.Ed college at Payradanga in Nadia district.
The T20 World Cup for the Blind will be held in India from December 6 to 17. Apart from India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Australia, South Africa , Pakistan and Sri Lanka will be taking part in the 3rd edition of the world cup.