CHENNAI: IT was a memorable day for blind cricket in India as Rotary Club of Madras East and Saraswathi Vidyalaya SSS honoured Patrick Rajkumar, coach of the Indian blind cricket team with the ‘Dronacharya’ award. Former India cricketer K Srikkanth presented the citation and honoured Patrick at a glittering function.
Patrick, who was with the national team since 2012, has helped his the team bag three major titles. Srikkanth lavished praise on Patrick. “Hats off to Patrick for his commendable work. Winning a Word Cup is special and I compliment our Indian blind team for that unique feat. I just saw on the video how the players take catches with the help from the sound from the special white ball. It is amazing,’’ said Srikkanth. “The joy of playing and participating is important. I see that in the players’ faces and that is really good. Everyone must support the sport.”
Patrick was not a professional coach nor a sportsperson when he took up the mantle of coach of India’s blind cricket team seven years ago. “The first thing I did was detailed study of sport. I read articles, saw videos basically to understand what was required of me. This was when I realised that the job would be full of challenges, but not impossible. And if I succeed, I would be helping the players fulfil a long-cherished dream. So I accepted.’’ said Patrick.