Shyam Bhatia Foundation donation boosts rural cricket in SA

Plans for development of cricket in rural areas of the country by Cricket South Africa (CSA) got a major boost today with a 50-bag cricket equipment donation from the Shyam Bhatia Cricket for Care Foundation.
"This is a tremendous gesture by the Shyam Bhatia Foundation," said Edward Khoza, CSA Cricket Services Manager.
"Rural cricket is a very important part of our development pipeline and it urgently needs resources so that we can fulfil our vision of making cricket a truly national sport accessible to all," he said.
Khoza said the equipment will be distributed through the CSA Members (provincial affiliates) for the development of cricket within the rural regions of the country.

Each bag contains three arm guards, six cricket balls, three cricket bats, two helmets, a pair of wicket-keeping gloves, three pairs of batting leg-guards, three pairs of batting gloves, three thigh pads, and abdominal guards.
"For me, cricket is a way of life," said Shyam Bhatia, Chairman of the Bhatia Cricket for Care Foundation.

"All I want to give children is integrity, honesty, dignity, truth, courage, sportsmanship, and a burning desire to be excellent human beings."
Shyam Bhatia Cricket for Care was established in 2004 with the aim of taking cricket to underprivileged children around the world, who could not have otherwise afforded to play cricket or look at cricket as a sport and career.

Since then it has distributed kits to thousands of underprivileged children through national and local cricket Boards and councils in India, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Kenya, and also to non-cricket playing nations such as Indonesia, Thailand and Japan.