For any country to become a sporting nation, a robust grassroots program is the foundation on which the rest is built upon. Sports have the power to transform, empower and uplift lives but only when it’s a viable career option accessible to all. Despite India being a cricket country nation, the overwhelming competition and the ‘race’ to make it to the top often leaves many diamonds in the rough undiscovered because they’re never given a platform to showcase their talent.

In this exclusive interview with SPOGO, Mr. Himalaya Sharma, Managing Director at T10 Grassroots Cricketers Association speaks about their goals, coaching development program, giving exposure, strengthening the grassroots and future goals. 

Q 1) How is the T10 Grassroots Cricketers Association of India developing the sport at the grassroots? What is the non-profit organization’s goal and vision?

T10 Grassroots Cricketers Association is a Non-Profit Delhi, India based organization founded by Mr. Tapan Sarkar established on 31st July 2020. This company is registered under Company Act 2013 under Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Government of India.

The group mainly focuses on Grassroot Cricket all over the globe. It is often seen that young athletes don’t get a fair deal to show up their talent due to high competition & so many other factors. The group has been working hard for the same cause for 7 years now and has worked out events really well at all levels especially nationally and internationally. TGCA totally believes in nourishing the young talent and bringing raw and talented ones in front so that they should know the value of becoming a mentor in future.

Developing Cricket not only in India but worldwide to motivate today’s players in different parts of the world to start or join a club, become part of a team and endeavor to become champions of their national domestic cricket league to receive an invite to the big International Championship.

We will create heroes of today's grassroot cricketers by giving them the T10 platform to shine on the world stage. We want to Inspire parents to involve their children, at a young age, in local cricket communities so they can aspire to one day play in the T10 Club level games and national teams.

We want to ensure the TGCA objective is clear (It is grassroot level development for cricketers looking for a chance to show up their talent at International Level), credible (only the National domestic champion team can play) and entertaining (the fantastically action packed T10 format).

Q 2) Tell us more about the sponsorship programmes, international players exchange program and coaching development program that is being planned by T10 Grassroots Cricketers Association of India?

We will conduct coach exchange program as well where junior coaches will be trained under senior coaches, a selection test will be conducted at the end of the course and coaches will be sent to different countries to train players at school, university, academy or at club level and also learn new technique of that country which he/she can apply to their respective countries as well which will help players to learn some new & advance technique.

We will conduct a player exchange program within member countries so that every player will get a chance to play in different countries and in different conditions and learn all fundamentals of Cricket, this program will help to play against different players with different skills.

Our member countries can conduct cricket events, cricket camps and can invite other countries for bilateral, triangular and even organize big events by inviting other countries which will be part of sports tourism and good source of generating revenue.

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Q 3) How does the organization aim to give exposure to cricketers in their roster to play in foreign soil under different conditions and give cricketers a platform to showcase their talent?

Our motive is not to create any parallel cricket board of any country but our main motive is to work for the official cricket board by helping them in finding the best talented players for their country with help of T-10 format and other development programs. We will encourage everyone to respect their country’s official cricket board as they will only have the right to provide better chances and opportunities to play for the national side.

Q 4) What are the steps that T10 Grassroots Cricketers Association of India is taking to strengthen the grassroots of the sport to ensure India remains a cricket superpower in the future?

We will create opportunities for Grassroots Cricketers by organizing events at Domestic and International level so that everyone gets a fair chance to represent their country at the international level.

We will invite the official cricket board of the country/ Clubs/ Organization to join hands with us and help their country’s grassroots level cricket to grow by giving them a competitive environment and opportunity to play against other countries at international level.

We will help the official cricket board of the country to provide them with the best talent through our program so that it will become easy for them to pick the best player for their national side or junior team.

We are also coming up with so many development programs for men, women, junior and disable players so that it will create equal opportunities for all gender and all age players.

Q 5) What are the future goals of T10 Grassroots Cricketers Association of India? How does the organization plan to achieve them?

As a responsible organization we will help players and community members to work as a team around the world and help cricket to grow and provide the best talent for their country and make a strong team for their National side.

In our second phase of the development program, we will introduce a Franchise based T-10 event worldwide where talent from our member countries will get a chance to nominate their players.

TGCA will help in getting investors to develop cricket academies, cricket infrastructure and other facilities wherever it will be required on profit sharing basis