TATA
BANNED
- Joined
- May 10, 2010
- Messages
- 517
- Reaction score
- 0
Indians teaching Cricket to friend Russia
Imagine a Russian team playing in T20 cricket match? Well, it sounds exotic, but if the soaring enthusiasm of a small band of cricket enthusiasts is anything to go by, the game which remains exotic for a majority of Russians is headed for better times in a country where most people cant distinguish between cricket and crocket.
For many Russians, cricket means Cricket cigarette lighters. But all this changed last year after Eurosport, a European sports satellite and cable network, broadcast several Twenty20 Cricket World Cup matches complete with racy commentary by the father of Russian cricket, Ashwani Chopra, an Indian businessmen now living in Moscow. The game struck a chord with Russian fans.
A few months later, Russias cricket team took part in the European Twenty20 cricket tournament, where it made it to the finals before losing to Hungary. It should comes as a pleasant surprise to cricket-crazy Indians that Russia, too, has a national cricket team!
Cricket in Russia goes back to 1995, when a group of Indian students began to organize friendly matches using tennis balls and bats. Chopra, who came to Moscow in 1989 to study at State Technical University, and later went to Moscow Aviation Institute, came up with the idea to get the group together. I was considered to be a good player in India, and I kept thinking about cricket when I came to Russia. It is like my first love, as essential as air, Chopra told Russia & India Report (RIR).
Ashwani Chopra
This passion bore fruit in 2000, when the United Cricket League of Russia was founded. It initially had just four teams: India, Australia, Britain and the world team for players from other countries. Fast-forward to the present, and you have eight teams in the league, with the strongest one, Friends 11, a seven-time league champion.
Along with the regular season, now there are also Twenty20 tournaments, a shorter, glamorous TV-friendly version of the sport, which was introduced in 2003 to attract more fans. The Russian team began to participate in Euro Twenty20 competitions two years ago. Their first appearance did not go as planned, but a year later the Russians fared handsomely by taking silver.
We are seeing progress. I hope that we will be recognised by the International Cricket Council before the end of the year, which by then will put Russian cricket on the map,
said an upbeat Chopra. We have recently teamed up with the Russian Baseball Federation. They are helping us a lot, and we are very grateful for that, he added.
Unfortunately, Team Russia does not have the money to participate in the Cricket World Cup, but as soon as it gets the financing, the team will take part in qualifying matches.
Chopra speaks like a cricket evangelist whose mission is to popularize the game in his adopted country.
Our main goal is to involve more local players on the team at the expense of foreigners. We also want children to start practicing cricket. It has a bright future in Russia and is becoming a fashionable and glamorous sport, said the man who regards cricket as a sort of religion.
It is wonderful to see how, of the roughly 3,000-4,000 Indians living in Moscow, 200-300 of them are out playing cricket. Cricket brings them together.
Russia National Cricket Team
Captain: Ashwani Chopra
RUSSIA SQUAD
Ashwani Chopra
Sumit Hooda
Jigar Jaswantsinh Jadeja
Syed Khurshed Akhtar
Pankaj Kumar Jha
Rakesh Mohan Rajput
Radzhinder Singkh
Rashik Kumar
Arvinder Singh
Akila Milan De Silva Thotahewage
Hitesh Patel
Sammy Kotwani
Tanveer Khan
Cricket Russia
SOME WORDS ABOUT US
We would like to take few minutes of yours and would talk about the game of Cricket in this communique. We would also draw your attention below to the efforts being made to encourage and promote the game in Russia.
Known history of the Cricket dates back to more than 300 years when it is said to be played between two local clubs in England. Since then Cricket has seen many evolutions and in modern times the Cricket is played by 37 countries in conjunction with International Cricket Council (ICC). ICC has 10 countries as full members who play among themselves regular Test and One day International Cricket. Besides 27 countries where cricket in established and organized as the associate member of ICC.
Whilst cricket is a main team sport in many countries like the countries in Asia, there are ever more developing cricket nations where cricket is played by a small number of passionate cricket fans who are dedicated to see cricket played by a wider population of these countries. These dedicated cricketers and administrators from all over the non traditional cricketing world put countless hours of work and preparation in to organizing leagues, games and other activities all in an effort to see cricket in their country being played and promoted.
Continuing the passion for the game, few die-hards enthusiasts have been playing cricket every summer in Moscow for last few years. However it was during the year 2000, when the cricketing activity became more organized under the banner of United Cricket League (UCL) of Moscow, a non profit sports organization committed to the development of cricket in Russia, especially at grass roots levels.
Mission
To develop and promote the game of cricket in Russia to International Standards by:
a) Encouraging the playing of cricket amongst youths.
b) Collaborating with sports authorities at various levels to popularize the game among Russian society.
c) Working with individuals and corporate bodies to nurture and support the cause of cricket.
Goals
1. Promote Cricket as game in Russia.
2. Demonstrate cricketing skills by encouraging the expatriates from cricket playing countries to play a thrilling and competitive club cricket.
Structure of the CRICKET RUSSIA
Managing Committee
1. Mr. Ashwani Chopra ( Founder And President )
2. Dr. Ravi.
3. Mr. Arthur Szczerba.
4. Mr.Sumit Hooda
Executive Committee
1. Members of Managing Committee & Administrative committee.
2. Captains of All Cricket playing teams. Currently eight teams participates in the tournament.
Administrative/Technical Committee
a. Mohan Jit Singh, Secretary
b. Bobby Singh, Joint Secretary
IT/Web Designing Committee
a. Jigar Jadeja
b. Dheepak Kanagavel
As a non-profit sports organization, UCL rely entirely on friends of cricket, individuals, international and corporate bodies for material and financial support to run numerous programs. It was in recognition of UCL objectives that during the year 2005, a leading sports footwear and apparel brand came forward voluntarily and supported the cause whole heartedly.
We invite all Cricket supporters and the entire cricketing fraternity based in Moscow or elsewhere in Russia, or based elsewhere to come forward and support the noble cause by making financial and non-financial contributions, sponsorships etc.
We also extend hereby our invitation to all supporters and fans of the game to come and watch some thrilling cricket this summer at MGU university base ball ground.
PUNJABI DHABA - OFFICIAL CATERER OF CRICKET RUSSIA
Punjabi Dhaba - fine Punjabi cuisine in Moscow
Imagine a Russian team playing in T20 cricket match? Well, it sounds exotic, but if the soaring enthusiasm of a small band of cricket enthusiasts is anything to go by, the game which remains exotic for a majority of Russians is headed for better times in a country where most people cant distinguish between cricket and crocket.
For many Russians, cricket means Cricket cigarette lighters. But all this changed last year after Eurosport, a European sports satellite and cable network, broadcast several Twenty20 Cricket World Cup matches complete with racy commentary by the father of Russian cricket, Ashwani Chopra, an Indian businessmen now living in Moscow. The game struck a chord with Russian fans.
A few months later, Russias cricket team took part in the European Twenty20 cricket tournament, where it made it to the finals before losing to Hungary. It should comes as a pleasant surprise to cricket-crazy Indians that Russia, too, has a national cricket team!
Cricket in Russia goes back to 1995, when a group of Indian students began to organize friendly matches using tennis balls and bats. Chopra, who came to Moscow in 1989 to study at State Technical University, and later went to Moscow Aviation Institute, came up with the idea to get the group together. I was considered to be a good player in India, and I kept thinking about cricket when I came to Russia. It is like my first love, as essential as air, Chopra told Russia & India Report (RIR).
Ashwani Chopra
This passion bore fruit in 2000, when the United Cricket League of Russia was founded. It initially had just four teams: India, Australia, Britain and the world team for players from other countries. Fast-forward to the present, and you have eight teams in the league, with the strongest one, Friends 11, a seven-time league champion.
Along with the regular season, now there are also Twenty20 tournaments, a shorter, glamorous TV-friendly version of the sport, which was introduced in 2003 to attract more fans. The Russian team began to participate in Euro Twenty20 competitions two years ago. Their first appearance did not go as planned, but a year later the Russians fared handsomely by taking silver.
We are seeing progress. I hope that we will be recognised by the International Cricket Council before the end of the year, which by then will put Russian cricket on the map,
said an upbeat Chopra. We have recently teamed up with the Russian Baseball Federation. They are helping us a lot, and we are very grateful for that, he added.Unfortunately, Team Russia does not have the money to participate in the Cricket World Cup, but as soon as it gets the financing, the team will take part in qualifying matches.
Chopra speaks like a cricket evangelist whose mission is to popularize the game in his adopted country.
Our main goal is to involve more local players on the team at the expense of foreigners. We also want children to start practicing cricket. It has a bright future in Russia and is becoming a fashionable and glamorous sport, said the man who regards cricket as a sort of religion.
It is wonderful to see how, of the roughly 3,000-4,000 Indians living in Moscow, 200-300 of them are out playing cricket. Cricket brings them together.
Russia National Cricket Team
Captain: Ashwani Chopra
RUSSIA SQUAD
Ashwani Chopra
Sumit Hooda
Jigar Jaswantsinh Jadeja
Syed Khurshed Akhtar
Pankaj Kumar Jha
Rakesh Mohan Rajput
Radzhinder Singkh
Rashik Kumar
Arvinder Singh
Akila Milan De Silva Thotahewage
Hitesh Patel
Sammy Kotwani
Tanveer Khan
Cricket Russia
SOME WORDS ABOUT US
We would like to take few minutes of yours and would talk about the game of Cricket in this communique. We would also draw your attention below to the efforts being made to encourage and promote the game in Russia.
Known history of the Cricket dates back to more than 300 years when it is said to be played between two local clubs in England. Since then Cricket has seen many evolutions and in modern times the Cricket is played by 37 countries in conjunction with International Cricket Council (ICC). ICC has 10 countries as full members who play among themselves regular Test and One day International Cricket. Besides 27 countries where cricket in established and organized as the associate member of ICC.
Whilst cricket is a main team sport in many countries like the countries in Asia, there are ever more developing cricket nations where cricket is played by a small number of passionate cricket fans who are dedicated to see cricket played by a wider population of these countries. These dedicated cricketers and administrators from all over the non traditional cricketing world put countless hours of work and preparation in to organizing leagues, games and other activities all in an effort to see cricket in their country being played and promoted.
Continuing the passion for the game, few die-hards enthusiasts have been playing cricket every summer in Moscow for last few years. However it was during the year 2000, when the cricketing activity became more organized under the banner of United Cricket League (UCL) of Moscow, a non profit sports organization committed to the development of cricket in Russia, especially at grass roots levels.
Mission
To develop and promote the game of cricket in Russia to International Standards by:
a) Encouraging the playing of cricket amongst youths.
b) Collaborating with sports authorities at various levels to popularize the game among Russian society.
c) Working with individuals and corporate bodies to nurture and support the cause of cricket.
Goals
1. Promote Cricket as game in Russia.
2. Demonstrate cricketing skills by encouraging the expatriates from cricket playing countries to play a thrilling and competitive club cricket.
Structure of the CRICKET RUSSIA
Managing Committee
1. Mr. Ashwani Chopra ( Founder And President )
2. Dr. Ravi.
3. Mr. Arthur Szczerba.
4. Mr.Sumit Hooda
Executive Committee
1. Members of Managing Committee & Administrative committee.
2. Captains of All Cricket playing teams. Currently eight teams participates in the tournament.
Administrative/Technical Committee
a. Mohan Jit Singh, Secretary
b. Bobby Singh, Joint Secretary
IT/Web Designing Committee
a. Jigar Jadeja
b. Dheepak Kanagavel
As a non-profit sports organization, UCL rely entirely on friends of cricket, individuals, international and corporate bodies for material and financial support to run numerous programs. It was in recognition of UCL objectives that during the year 2005, a leading sports footwear and apparel brand came forward voluntarily and supported the cause whole heartedly.
We invite all Cricket supporters and the entire cricketing fraternity based in Moscow or elsewhere in Russia, or based elsewhere to come forward and support the noble cause by making financial and non-financial contributions, sponsorships etc.
We also extend hereby our invitation to all supporters and fans of the game to come and watch some thrilling cricket this summer at MGU university base ball ground.
PUNJABI DHABA - OFFICIAL CATERER OF CRICKET RUSSIA
Punjabi Dhaba - fine Punjabi cuisine in Moscow
