Aizawl: In a bid to promote cricket, Grassroot Cricket School, a joint initiative of Samagra Shiksha, Mizoram and Cricket Association of Mizoram (CAM) was launched in 10 schools in Mizoram’s capital Aizawl on Thursday.
The programme aims at imparting training on cricket to the selected students to be well versed in the games without jeopardising their academic careers.
Addressing the hit-off programme in Aizawl, state education minister Lalchhandama Ralte said that the grassroots cricket school has been launched in 10 government elementary schools within Aizawl. The programme will also be launched in 50 other schools in other districts by next year, he said.
The minister said that the programme will immensely benefit the students and hoped that many Mizo youths will enter the mainstream and become national players in the coming years.
Sports minister Robert Romawia also attended the hit-off programme.
In April, Samagra Shiksha, Mizoram and the Cricket Association of Mizoram signed a five-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to start grassroots cricket schools in government schools to promote cricket in the state.
Under this programme, 50 students, including 10 girls, will be given training two to three times a week. While all training and equipment costs will be borne by the CAM, other requirements and needs will be met by Samagra Shiksha.
Besides, the students will also be taken on an exposure tour to other states and steps will be taken to send promising students to National Cricket Academy Bangalore, officials said.
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