The ICC Cricket World Cup will take place from October 5 to November 19 at 10 venues in India. After sharing hosting rights in 1987, 1996 and 2011, India will exclusively host the World Cup this time. Before the tournament kicks off next month, the Board of Control for Cricket in India is leaving no stone unturned to provide the best possible experience to fans. For this, the BCCI has launched a grand initiative by awarding ‘Golden Ticket’ to some prominent names. Earlier this week, legendary Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan became the first person to receive the special guest pass.
A few days later, BCCI secretary Jay Shah also presented a “Golden Ticket” to legendary batsman Sachin Tendilkar.
Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar, who was part of India’s first World Cup triumph in 1983, praised BCCI for the initiative and said it is a great way to honor pioneers in their respective fields.
However, Gavaskar also wants BCCI to give the Golden Ticket to ISRO chief S. Somnath, under whom India landed on the moon.
Gavaskar also hoped that BCCI would honor two World Cup-winning captains, Kapil Dev and MS Dhoni, while also mentioning other prominent athletes from their respective fields who have made the country proud in recent times.
“BCCI Secretary Jay Shah’s decision to honor individuals who have rendered service in their respective fields is great. At the time of writing, the one and only Amitabh Bachchan and Sachin Tendulkar have been given a golden ticket to witness the World Cup matches. ,” Gavaskar wrote in his column for Sportstar.
“It is not known how many others are on the list, but hopefully the head of ISRO, under whom India landed on the moon, will be one. Obviously it cannot be given to everyone who has played for India, but If If the associations where the matches are played are instructed to invite the Indian players from their city to the matches in that city, that would be a wonderful gesture. Two others who deserve the golden ticket are of course the two World Cup winners. , Kapil Dev and Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Olympic and World Athletics gold medalist Neeraj Chopra is also someone who comes to mind for the BCCI gold ticket.”
“Whether or not these people can attend a match is irrelevant. It is the thought that will certainly be appreciated by the recipients. It’s a nice initiative that you see at Wimbledon and the US Open Tennis, where both current and former champions of other sports are special invitees to attend the tournaments. India has so many sporting heroes and if they are also recognized with the golden ticket, the image of the BCCI will become very bright. Rohan Bopanna, who recently finished second at the US Open at the age of 43, and Sharath (Kamal), a super legend of table tennis, are two other names. They may not be able to attend the games, but it’s the recognition that counts. Well done, BCCI, !” he added.
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