The Mumbai Cricket Association’s (MCA) initiative to install a permanent ramp at the entrance of its office premises at the Wankhede Stadium to facilitate access for wheelchair users has been welcomed by Mumbai’s wheelchair cricket team captain Rahul Ramugade.
“MCA have done a wonderful job by installing a permanent ramp at the ground floor entrance of the building that houses their office premises on the third floor. They have also provided this facility at the entrance of the new MCA Sharad Pawar Cricket Museum.
As we [wheelchair cricketers] regularly visit the MCA office, last May we had requested MCA’s Executive Secretary CS Naik to provide a ramp. I’m grateful to him, the office bearers and Apex Council members for taking this positive step. Earlier, while entering the office, we had to cross a few steps to get to the lift. I used to take help from the security guards to lift me along with my wheelchair to get there.
But now I can independently move on my wheelchair thanks to this ramp,” Ramugade told Sunday mid-day on Saturday.
MCA Secretary Dr Unmesh Khanvilkar said: “We are always looking to provide good facilities to everyone. Many times parents and senior citizens also visit the MCA office along with their kids, so this will help them too.”
Meanwhile, MCA’s previous Apex Council had decided to constitute a Differently-Abled Players Cricket Committee last July. Ramugade is hoping some concrete steps are taken in this context.
“MCA had called for applications for a separate committee last August, but it’s yet to be formed. Recently [Nov 27], we also submitted a request letter to them about this. I urge MCA to form a committee for us and organise cricket matches for differently abled cricketers. This will be the true inclusion of wheelchair cricket in MCA,” added Ramugade, who recently led Mumbai to the title at the West Zone Wheelchair Cricket Championship in the city.
