Journalism of Courage
Bharat Baburao Marwadi gives free cricket coaching to young talented players who cannot afford the fees
When he was 10 years old,Bharat Baburao Marwadi saw something on television that changed his life. It was a game of cricket. He managed to get a hand-me-down bat and a rubber ball and introduced the game to his group of friends. Soon cricket became an integral part of his life. But even though he had a burning passion for the game,he never thought of pursuing it as a career after finishing higher secondary education. Since my family did not have a strong financial background,they were hesitant about sponsoring any interest in cricket. But I knew I was good at the game. And I had learnt everything through trial and error myself. I never pictured myself as a cricketer but at the back of my mind,I knew that the only thing that gave me happiness was this game, says 54-year-old Marwadi.
At the age of 22,when he was approached by children to teach cricket,he struck upon an idea to pursue his passion while earning a decent income from it too. That’s how he took up cricket coaching classes at Nehru Stadium,charging reasonably from those who could afford it.
But he noticed a few kids who would come to the stadium just to watch. He also noticed the passion for the game in their eyes. I asked those kids to come and practice along with the other children in the club without a fee. But then came the problem of the equipment. These kids did not have a ball,gloves,pads and helmets, says Marwadi,who is popularly known as Marwadi Sir at the stadium. So he visited Sunny Sports,a sports equipment store,to purchase these items for the boys who could not afford it. One day,while chatting up with the owners of the store about his coaching class and the reason why he comes over so often to pick up equipment,he told them about these young boys who have a passion and talent for the game but no financial backing. The chat ended with the store manager giving him a substantial discount and also offering to sponsor some of the boys.
I know how it feels when you want something so badly but you can’t have it for no fault of your own. When you are willing to train hard,work hard and do everything it takes to be an extraordinary player but you can’t because you don’t have the funds. I did not want to see the boys in that position. I spoke about their talent with the palak mandal and convinced them to buy these boys equipment too, says Marwadi.
In 32 years of coaching young cricketers at the stadium,Marwadi has trained players who have played at the Ranji Trophy and the Indian Premier League (IPL). Presently he coaches 18 children free of charge and also manages to provide them with required equipment. I have had many moments of pride in my life when I have seen these boys get selected through invitation matches to play for the state. The happiness that they bring to my heart and the teardrops of joy that run down their faces when they get selected is my fee, says Marwadi.
