Abhay Singh Rana is a newspaper hawker, a mobile salesman and also a cricket coach.
Abhay Singh Rana is a newspaper hawker, a mobile salesman and also a cricket coach.
He has been training young “zardozi” workers and welders to play cricket for his team called “Áliganj Spartans” that is taking part in the ongoing Indian gramin cricket league (IGCL) matches.
And in these young boys, he is realising his own dreams. “All these boys belong to poor families, who cannot even support basic government school education. They work as artisans and on other jobs all day and then practise cricket because they love the game. I also love cricket and when we came across each other, I decided to hone their skills and form a team. We missed IGCL last year but were among the first to register this year,” said Abhay.
Talking about his own routine, he said, “I wake up at 3.30 am and cycle almost 70 kms, distributing 600 newspapers in the trans-Gomti area. Then it is time to go to work as a salesman in a mobile shop.”
Abhay still has dreams of becoming India’s number one cyclist one day and said that he can do 25 kms per hour on the cycle. “I am waiting for my time and I know that one day I will be able to realise my dream,” he said.
Abhay’s father was also a newspaper hawker but his failing health forced him to give up the job and put the mantle on Abhay.
“There was nothing else I could do because I had to fend for the family. I took up my father’s work and also some other odd jobs to make ends meet”, he said without a trace of regret.
Abhay’s friend Mukesh is preparing for civil services examination and when Abhay told him about the “boys who have a spark in them”, Mukesh agreed to help him in building up “Aliganj Spartans”.
Abhay and Mukesh practice with the team for two hours on weekdays and the whole day on Sunday. The two are also giving lessons in basic education to the team members and have got four boys admitted to a well-known private school through the Right to Education provision. Abhay said that if his team performs well at the IGCL, it could open new vistas for the players. “I see the IGCL as a stepping stone for those players who have the talent but lack the opportunities. There are many Tendulkars and Kohlis waiting to be discovered,” he added.
Talking about his team, Abhay said that the batsmen in his team, Haseeb and Arshad, had great potential and could go a long way if given the opportunity. “From gully cricket where I saw them for the first time, these boys have already come a long way. In fact, they are polishing my bowling skills now,” he said.
