Dubai: Anis Sajan, the mentor of the Indian team participating in the ongoing World Indoor Cricket Federation Indoor World Cup at Insportz, is in a dilemma. He has groomed players that are representing three countries in this World Cup: UAE, India and Sri Lanka through his company team Danube.
Speaking to Gulf News on the sidelines of the event, Sajan said: “For me, it’s a mentor’s dilemma now over whom to support. I really don’t know where my heart should be and where my mind should be because at one time I talk about bleeding blue (Indian team colour) at the same time there is UAE where I have lived for the last 25 years and has given me everything. My heart goes to both teams. My feelings are also with the Sri Lankan team too because 90 per cent of their players played for Danube in the past.”
Indian team captain Girish Kyatanahalli Gopal said: “I got to visit UAE for the first time on being invited to play for Danube in the UAE domestic tournament.” UAE captain Saqib Nazir too remarked: “It is Sajan’s encouragement that helped me take up indoor cricket as I played for Danube from 2002 to 2012.”
For nearly 20 years, Sajan, despite his busy schedule as a businessman, has been visiting the Insportz.
“Ever since I first played 20 years ago at the Insportz arena, which is taken care by Prameela Nadkarni and Pradeep Menon, it has become my second home. I had the best team in UAE’s domestic cricket because we had the vision and the goal to reach the top. What was important to us was not just reach the top but also to maintain it and that was the big part. I am glad and proud of the fact that the India Indoor Federation has appreciated my work and made me the mentor of their team,” said Sajan, who wants indoor cricket to gain in popularity.
Sajan wants the awareness and interest that he generated in the UAE to spread in India too. “I have already spoken to a TV company of starting an indoor league in India. I am sure Indians will appreciate this form of cricket like they fell in love with Twenty20 cricket because this is also a fast game. Like we’ve got the kabaddi league, football league and badminton league now in India, an indoor cricket league too can get popular. It is about getting few more centres for indoor cricket in India. Unfortunately, right now there is only one centre in Bengaluru. If there can be three to four centres this game is bound to get popular in India.”
Sandeep Patil, former Indian Test star and brand ambassador of the Indian team, acknowledged Sajan’s effort. “We need promoters of the game like Sajan, Abul Latif Khan and Shyam Bhatia for any sport to grow and their efforts in supporting the game is laudable,” he said.
What will then Sajan do as mentor? “My job is to be in the backstage and provide motivation to the Indian boys. As Patil had told the Indian team, I too feel that if you have the will, then you can surely go the distance.”
