Chandigarh, The remarkable performances of Chandigarh’s women cricketers on the national and international stage have further strengthened the UT Cricket Association’s (UTCA) resolve to promote women’s cricket and create more opportunities for girls right from the grassroots level.
These roadmaps were highlighted at the 46th Annual General Meeting of UTCA, held at Hotel Hyatt Regency, Chandigarh on Sunday, where the association reviewed its cricketing activities and discussed its roadmap for the coming season.
While addressing the media at the sidelines of the AGM, UTCA President Saraansh Tandon said, the success of Nandini Sharma, who recently played a key role in India’s victories in the Women’s Asia Cup in Dubai and the Asian Games in Japan, along with the emergence of star performers such as Kashvee Gautam, has provided further impetus to UTCA’s efforts to create a stronger pipeline for women cricketers from Chandigarh.
The overwhelming response to women’s participation in the UTCA Gully Cricket programme has also encouraged the association to expand opportunities for girls at the grassroots level. The association believes that regular competitive cricket at the junior level will help identify and nurture talented players at an early age and provide them with a structured pathway to higher-level cricket.
UTCA also reiterated its interest in organising a Women’s Premier League to provide quality exposure to women cricketers. However, the proposed tournament could not be organised in September due to the non-availability of key players, including Nandini Sharma, who was on national duty and Kashvee Gautam, who is currently undergoing rehabilitation. The association plans to continue exploring opportunities to bring high-quality women’s cricket to Chandigarh.
The AGM also laid emphasis on strengthening junior-level cricket and providing young players with quality competitive exposure.
The annual Balram Ji Das Tandon Multi-Day Cricket Tournament will see an expanded field of 16 teams this year, with the tournament scheduled to begin next month. The initiative is aimed at giving Chandigarh’s young cricketers valuable exposure to longer-format cricket and allowing them to compete against quality opposition without having to travel outside the city.
UTCA is also placing greater emphasis on the fitness and overall conditioning of its players. As part of this initiative, the association has made provisions for an exclusive gym facility for both formats besides strengthening sports-science support through the appointment of a physiotherapist.
