Dream come true

Chandranath Chatterjee, a budding cricketer barely in his 20s, died after a heart attack while playing cricket.

Shamik Chakrabarty in conversation with Gautam Dasgupta, a former BCCI joint-secretary, who has given shape to many a poor child8217;s dream to make it big in the cricketing world

Chandranath Chatterjee, a budding cricketer barely in his 20s, died after a heart attack while playing cricket. The untimely death of Chandranath led a few Shyambazar Club officials to set up the Chandranath Chatterjee Memorial Cricket Coaching Centre CCMCCC at Girish Avenue in north Kolkata in 1993.

That perhaps opened the floodgates to a host of underprivileged sports aspirants who loved to dream big.

Poverty is a killer. It kills hope. It forbids dreaming. But there are always exceptions to the rules.

At Chandranath Chatterjee Memorial Cricket Coaching Centre you can enjoy the difference. Poverty doesn8217;t get a snub here. Rather, it gets support. For those who love cricket but don8217;t have the means to dream big, this centre has the solution.

The man who has made this cricket coaching centre an exception is a former BCCI joint-secretary 8212; Gautam Dasgupta.

The general impression about Dasgupta is that he is a man who loves to control the show from behind the scenes in the Cricket Association of Bengal CAB. That8217;s half the story. There8217;s a different side as well. This dark, wisecracking cricket administrator genuinely cares for the grassroots. Social service is his joie de vivre.

Story continues below this ad

P Lakshman8217;s case is perhaps the biggest example. A boy from Kidderpore with South Indian roots who makes a living by selling idli, is now seriously contemplating pursuing a cricketing career. Without Dasgupta8217;s help this wouldn8217;t have been possible.

The CCMCCC trainees and their parents used to contribute to most of Lakshman8217;s daily sales. Life changed suddenly. One day the camp was short of bowlers and coach Swapan Sarkar was a bit worried. Suddenly a ball came to Lakshman. The sheer irreverence and exuberance of youth prompted him to bowl it back to the fielders with a full run-up.

The coach spotted talent in that run-up and action. Later in the evening he told Dasgupta about the entire episode. The latter ensured that the talent didn8217;t go in vain.

Lakshman was admitted to the coaching centre free of cost, was provided with kits and also some pocket money that could make up for the loss he would incur during practice hours.

Story continues below this ad

Today the 18-year-old is playing in the CAB first division league and is also among the Bengal Under-19 probables.

8220;After Chatterjee8217;s death, we the committee members of Shyambazar Club decided to do something in his memory. The consensus was to set up a cricket centre after his name that would open its heart and hearth to the underprivileged. It was easier said than done because at that time we barely had the funds. But we were committed to the cause that saw us through,8221; Dasgupta said.

Lakshman, on the other hand, pays his gratitude to his 8220;Gautam Sir8221; and other members of the centre.

8220;Without their help my aspirations would have been nipped in the bud. Cricket is still not a poor man8217;s game. For a hawker like me, it8217;s almost impossible to pursue a cricketing career without any financial assistance,8221; he says in broken Hindi.

Story continues below this ad

He is not alone. There are more of his type in that coaching clinic. The centre is happy to help them. The centre ensures they are treated on a par with those who belong to the privileged class.

A walk through Girish Avenue in north Kolkata and you will bump into this cricket coaching centre. Spend some hours and you will get to know how fetters can be broken, how barriers can be transcended.