Cricket academy in Thergaon will start soon

Times of India, PUNE: The much-talked about Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) Dilip Vengsarkar Cricket Academy in Thergaon is all set to start in the first week of October.

Veteran cricketer and chairman of national selection committee, Dilip Vengsarkar made this announcement during inspection of the academy site on Tuesday. “A Twenty-20 match between Mumbai and Rest of India will be held here most probably after the Australia series. I have spoken to the Indian cricket players. Sachin Tendulkar will captain the Mumbai team while Mahendra Singh Dhoni will lead the Rest of India.”

Vengsarkar rued the fact that despite having abundant talent, Pune failed to produce international players because it has no full-fledged ground. “The academy ground will fulfil that need and will give exposure to raw talent,” he hoped.

It may be noted that a memorandum of understanding (MOU) was signed in May 2007 between the PCMC and the Dilip Vengsarkar Cricket Academy (DVCA) to start the facility in Thergaon. Vengsarkar added that selection trials for boys and girls will be held in the age group of 10 to 17. There will be a separate net for girls. Each batch will have 30 kids and coaches will be from Pune. There would be two training sessions daily – from 7 am to 9.30 am and from 3.30 to 6 pm.

“Our aim is to provide coaching to youngsters up to 17 years of age. We will have two groups of students—under-14 and under-17 with 60 students in each group. They will be given free kits and clothing,” said Vengsarkar. The ground has a boundary of 70 yards and is being made as per international standards. The PCMC is preparing the ground and the pavilion. The pavilion has a capacity to accommodate 100 people.

“I will devote three days a week to the academy. Coaches from Mumbai and Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) would also be invited. There will be five to six resident coaches, one physical trainer and a physiotherapist,” Vengsarkar explained.
Two tournaments will be held every year involving the U-14 and U-17 teams, besides teams from outside. The Maharashtra Cricket Academy (MCA) can also use the ground, Vengsarkar added.

Besides, the academy will provide an indoor net for practising during monsoon.

Shrirang Barne, Congress corporator from Thergaon, expressed hope that good players will emerge from the academy. Curator M D Surve said there was a need for lawn mowers to which Barne promised to speak with municipal commissioner.

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