TCA plans 10 centres of excellence across TG

The Telangana Cricket Association (TCA), which has been relentlessly providing platforms by way of conducting championships and training sessions to budding talent in the interiors, on Sunday unveiled its new vision-establishing 10 Centres of Excellence across Telangana on a priority basis.

This was announced by the Association General Secretary Dharam Guruva Reddy, while addressing a ‘Telangana cricketers meet’ in Warangal.

He said that the fully integrated centres of excellence would be perfect launching pads for youngsters as they will be equipped with the best of infrastructural facilities and coaches. He said that it was thanks to the diligent efforts of TCA that many youngsters from the rural areas of the State were getting opportunities to parade their talent and draw the attention of senior administrators. Considering their enormous contributions and pioneering measures, the Association deserves due share of recognition, he said. The meeting, which was attended by officials and players, passed a unanimous resolution backing the demand.

Going further, Reddy made it clear that the Association should get a deserving membership in the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and not a mere collaboration with the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA).

He called upon all political parties and public representatives to shed their political affiliations and stand united to help TCA secure the BCCI stamp of approval.

In the same vein, and in continuation of their tirade against the ‘extremely corrupt’ HCA, he pointed out that HCA had failed to comply with the collaboration directives issued by the BCCI in July 2021. As per the Bombay High Court’s orders, the discussions held between HCA and TCA representatives on March 29 this year were yet to be finalised. This, he said, exposes HCA’s lack of commitment to promote and develop cricket in Telangana.

The program was organised by TCA state treasurer Dr P Vijay Chander Reddy and coordinated by T Jayapal, secretary of their Warangal district unit. Dr Ponnala Jagan, Samee, Md Zakir Hussain, Stephen, Sharath Yadav, Md Mohin, Kaluvala Shiva, Bhaskar, Navarasan and Shashank, apart from many senior cricketers, attended the meeting.