Blind cricketers get gear from Lions Club

CRICKET played by blind or visually impaired persons is picking up quickly in popularity here. Already engaged in practice sessions, many visually impaired persons are learning the art of the game given the peculiar nature of playing cricket as a blind person. On Friday last, the Lions Club of San Fernando presented cricketing implements to members of the San Fernando Blind Welfare Association. The presentation took place at Lions’ office, Circular Street at where the club’s president Darwin Samlalsingh handed over bats, pads, stumps and gloves to the blind cricketers. Receiving the implements were Kenneth Suratt, Keith Baptiste, Michael Durham, Rajendra Ramnarine and Julie Mattison.

And on Saturday, members joined with their colleagues from the Port-of-Spain Lions for a practice session at Munroe Road Recreation Ground, central Trinidad. Suratt told Newsday many visually impaired persons have expressed great interest in playing the game competitively in the region and hopefully at international level. Players plan to discuss the formation of a committee to oversee the game at their next session on April 3. Dr Allen Sammy and several members of the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board of Control have been invited to address the players. Suratt said that the first task of the committee will be to draw up a constitution.