Dubai: It was a moment to cherish for Ritik Bagchi, who became the first recipient of the Adam Gilchrist Sports Award at the University of Wollongong in Dubai on Sunday.
A wicket-keeper and left-handed batsman himself, Bagchi was over the moon when he received the award from ‘Gilly’ himself when the Australian legend and the university’s brand ambassador visited the UOWD campus in Dubai’s Knowledge Village to present the first edition of the award instituted in his name.
Bagchi, a student of the Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting programme, has produced some outstanding performances at the school level which earned him a place in the UAE under-16 and under-17 national team squads.
At the age of just 14, he played for the UAE under 17s in the Asian Cricket Council Elite Cup in Nepal and has also represented the country at tournaments in India and Thailand.
In 2011, Ritik was awarded a scholarship from the ICC Global Cricket Academy to train amongst an elite squad and last year he received a Special Category Award in Sports for exemplary sporting performance across his school teams.
In addition to his cricketing skills, Ritik is a keen footballer and is active in a range of extra-curricular pursuits, including taking on the role of official photographer for other school events.
The new sports award marks an extension to UOWD’s current range of grants that reward academic excellence. Open to both undergraduate and postgraduate students, it provides the recipient with a 50 per cent waiver on UOWD tuition fees throughout their chosen degree.
