Tis sounds so much fun! Kudos to Delhi Public School for having thought of it, and let’s have more of such meets. 
World Cup platform for delighted boys
RUHI BATRA
TIMES NEWS NETWORK WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 03, 2003 12:28:55 AM ]
NEW DELHI : It may be India ’s chance to unearth one more Sachin Tendulkar or Pakistan ’s destiny to discover another Imran Khan. Or may be for Bangladesh to find that elusive superstar who could reverse eir losing fortunes.
Welcome to the DPS World Cup Invitational Cricket Tournament for Schools that began here on December 2.
As many as 22 schools, from Pakistan , Nepal , Bangladesh , Malaysia and Sharjah, apart from India of course, are in town for the event. It’s probably the first time that a tournament of this scale has been organised for school boys; for most of them, anyway, it’s their first trip outside their country. But then our own boys are equally excited.
“We can’t express our joy. We are so excited to be a part of an event like this,” says Writam Porel, captain of the 15-strong team from St Thomas High School , Howrah . “We were so excited we didn’t sleep the entire last week,” he adds.
Tejo Ganesh, a prominent member of St Andrews High School , Hyderabad went shopping when he heard that he was going to play in a world cup. “I went and brought a new set of everything — new kit, new clothes,” he happily announces.
The star attractions of this tournament are the teams from across the border but their reactions to this tournament are no different from the friends in Howrah . Mohammed Talib, captain of the English Foundation School , Lahore states, “We couldn’t believe it when we received the invitation. Competing in a world cup is like a dream come true.”
And it’s not just the boys who are excited about the event. The coaches and officials too joined in for the fun. “We are very excited to be a part of this event. It’s a magnificent opportunity for students to interact and play,” says Toqir Malik, principal of City School , Faisalabad .
The boys may be tender of age but when it comes to winning, they are their seniors’ equals. Zian Shahnawaz, a fast bowler like his idol Shoaib Akhtar, has moulded himself after the Pakistani speedster right down to the hairstyle. “We have to win the world cup, inshallah. I want to bowl as fast as he does and take the cup to Pakistan ,” Shahnawaz, also captain of the Aizer School System, pronounces.
Eszrafiq, captain of the team from Bukit Jalil Sports School has been playing for the national team since the age of 16, but this is the first time that he and team mates are participating in a world cup. “This is something different and exciting. We are here to win and nothing less will do,” declares the Malaysian.
The affable boys from DPS, Dharan in Nepal are unaccustomed to the bitter winter chill but they haven’t let the cold dampen their spirits. “We have practised really hard for this tournament. We just want to win,” says the captain of the team, Sarvesh Maskey.
