SHILLONG, Dec 15: Six women cricketers, four local players and two guest players, from Meghalaya have been selected for a tour of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from December 19. The local players selected are Daiaka Emigale Warjri, Debasmita Dutta, Neha Hajong and Deiphibapynshngain L Mawnai, while the guest players for Meghalaya Cricket Association (MCA) include Saee Kiran Purandare and Vandana Mahajan.
The 10-day tour will be coached and managed by Saranya RS, former Kerala and Karnataka player, and a National Cricket Academy coach, who is also chief coach of the senior women’s state team. They will represent the team, Pathbreakers.
The tour is sponsored by Play True, which is a Trivandrum-based player management and sports marketing company with a vision to help girls become champions, and in association with G-Force Academy, one of the oldest cricket academies in the UAE.
Debasmita, a resident of Rynjah and an MBA graduate, had earlier played for the Karnataka Junior team when MCA was not affiliated to BCCI. She was elated at this opportunity to tour the UAE.
“It is a great feeling to be selected for such a wonderful opportunity. We were really surprised as we know that it has been only a couple of years since our state team has been participating in BCCI tournaments,” she said.
“Having been selected in this big tour is a big thing for me and my teammates. It’s the first time that an organisation in India is giving such an international exposure tour for a women’s team at the grassroots level. This kind of opportunity is usually reserved for the national team,” Debasmita added.
On the other hand, Daiaka, a student of Synod College and resident of Mairang, thanked God, her coach and the MCA for the golden opportunity to play outside the country.
“It’s a blessing for me to be a part of this journey as cricket is not just a game for me. It’s something more… I’m passionate about it.”
“From where I come, cricket is not a popular sport, especially in comparison to football, or any other sports for that matter. Therefore, I want to be an example for others in my community,” she added.
Neha, who is pursuing B.Com at St. Anthony’s College, is also thrilled on being selected after her performance in the BCCI tournaments.
Similarly, Deiphi, a student of Shillong College and resident of Mairang, thanked her mentors, Peter Jarman Lamare and Leonard Wankhar, for grooming them in becoming good cricketers.
“The MCA is proud of the girls, who currently represent the state in the U-23 and seniors teams, for making it to the big stage,” an MCA official said.
“The MCA sees this as an opportunity for the game of cricket to be popularised in remote places of Meghalaya, and also inspire more girls to play cricket – a sport that promises a bright future for them,” the official added.
