Mumbai, Jan 12 The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) commenced the 50th anniversary celebratory week of the Wankhede Stadium with a grand felicitation ceremony honouring former captains of the Mumbai cricket team, both men’s and women’s. The event, held at the stadium, was graced by cricketing legends, including Sunil Gavaskar, who was also a member of the Indian team that played the inaugural Test match at the Wankhede Stadium against the West Indies in 1974.
The felicitation ceremony took place in the presence of the MCA president Ajinkya Naik along with MCA vice president Sanjay Naik, Secretary Abhay Hadap, Treasurer Arman Mallick, jt secretary Deepak Patil and former president Vijay Patil.
The ceremony was attended by a host of cricketing stalwarts, including Sanjay Manjrekar, Wasim Jaffer, Raju Kulkarni, Chandrakant Pandit, Lalchand Rajput, Shobha Pandit, and Arundhati Ghosh who all contributed to the rich legacy of Mumbai cricket. The Sports Journalists Association of Mumbai (SJAM) was also felicitated for their support and contribution to Mumbai cricket.
Gavaskar expressed his heartfelt sentiments during the ceremony. “It is so good to be back at this iconic venue, a venue that has given Indian cricket such great moments. Today is the start of the 50th anniversary celebration week of the iconic Wankhede Stadium and as an opening batter, I could not miss the start. I extend my heartfelt wishes to the MCA and express my profound gratitude for the opportunities they provided me from my school days. I owe my success to the support and encouragement I received from the MCA,” he stated.
As part of the week-long celebrations, two exciting cricket matches were held, featuring teams represented by Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA), Sports Journalists Association of Mumbai (SJAM), Consul General, and IAS Officers.
In the first match, MCA defeated the Sports Journalists Association of Mumbai by five runs, whereas the IAS Officers Team won against the Consul Generals Team in the second match by 20 runs.
Speaking on the occasion, MCA president Ajinkya Naik said, "Wankhede Stadium’s 50th anniversary is a special occasion for us. Today was the start of the grand celebration, and our main goal behind this week-long event is to inform the next generation about Mumbai’s cricket history and the contributions of men’s and women’s players who played for Mumbai and inspire the young generation to take forward this legacy."
The 50th anniversary celebrations will continue throughout the week. MCA will felicitate the groundsmen of MCA’s clubs and grounds and organise Polly Umrigar Health Camp and a special lunch for them on January 15 followed by the felicitation of the members of the Mumbai team which played the first first-class match at the Wankhede Stadium in 1974.
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