Cricket Association of Bengal opens coaching camp in Maoist-hit Jhargram

Jhargram (West Bengal), Sep.12 (ANI): Kolkata Knight Riders coach Dav Whatmore and National Cricket Academy Director Sandeep Patil, opened a residential coaching camp in West Bengal's Maoist-affected Jhargram district on Sunday.

The camp was opened with the aim at finding cricketing talent in the troubled districts of West Midnapore, Bankura and Purulia.

The coaching camp is an initiative of the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB). Four coaches from National Cricket Academy (NCA) and another four CAB coaches have been inducted to impart training to the youth.

Whatmore said the initiative was necessary to help build a strong state level team as more than half of the cricketers in the present Eastern state team come from districts.

"To lend as much support as I can to the cricket association of Bengal, the CAB (Cricket Association of Bengal) in its wisdom are very keen to develop cricketers in districts and if you have a good look at the current Bengal team, more then 50 percent of the boys come from the districts. So, I always believe that a very strong and vibrant cricket in the districts means a very strong state team," said Whatmore.

On the first day, around 300 aspiring cricketers, between the age group of 14 to 16 years, registered themselves for the coaching camp.

The state cricket association has also made plans to turn it into a full-fledged camp from November this year.

Jhargram is a Maoist infested district and since the past few years, the rebels have stepped up their efforts against the government as well as the locals, in consideration of the complaints made by various locals of Maoist activities such as killings and abductions, which have increased considerably in the area.

By destroying the schools, Maoists prevent the children from getting educated and go outside the area. Adolescents and teenagers, keen to earn and get employed are induced to join the militant outfits.

Maoist insurgency has spread to the interiors of 20 out of India's 28 states.

The guerrilla war, waged mostly from the forests of central and eastern India by ultras of the banned Communist Party of India-Maoist, now poses the biggest internal security challenge, say analysts.

Maoists have also significantly increased their presence in tribal and rural regions in the states of Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal and Orissa. (ANI)