Universities Eves Prove A Point On 22 Yards

Osmania University, Hyderabad defeated Devi Ahilya University, Indore at the Rajdanga Ground, Kolkata, to retain the Gunavati C.K. Naidu Challenge Trophy awarded to the winner of the All India Inter University Cricket (Women’s) Tournament, organized by the University of Calcutta (CU) from February 15 to 27 2006. Fifty-five universities from Jammu to Kerala, Gujarat to Kolkata, featured in this tournament out of the sixty-five originally enrolled.

While Ritika Bhopalkar of Devi Ahilya University set the East Calcutta District Sports Federation Ground on fire as she blazed her way to a swashbuckling 209 not out against Mohanlal Sukhadia University, Sabari Chatterjee of Vinoba Bhave University sent the stumps for a tumble at the Hastings Ground as she ripped apart the Aligarh Muslim University batting line-up with stunning figures of six wickets for eight runs.

University of Calcutta was the only university from West Bengal to participate in the second edition of this tournament held in ten grounds spread from Khardah to Narendrapur, Sodepur to Salt Lake in and around city of Eden Gardens.

Emphasizing on the need for inter-college tournaments for development of women’s cricket, Sports Officer and Joint Secretary, Sports Board, CU Sudarshan Biswas said, “Physical education should be dwelt with more seriously right from the primary school level with long-term sports coaching after plus-two”. Advocating a State-level inter-university women’s cricket tournament as a preparation for national-level championships, he observed, “The combined Indian universities team should make foreign tours, and foreign teams should be invited to participate in national-level women’s cricket tournaments”.

“We are praising the Indian youngsters for quickly graduating to the highest level in men’s cricket. For similar results in women’s cricket, we should promote the game at the university level, as is done in other countries”, said Dr. Srirupa Basu, who has been associated with sports as a player, coach, commentator, administrator and educationist. “Better media coverage of women’s sports is an urgent necessity in India, to boost public interest and actual participation in women’s sports”, she noted.