Experiencing Delhi’s magic - exposure visit for eight CCP participants

Pro Sport Development (PSD), in collaboration with The Upamanyu Mallik Initiatives (TUMI) and Ace Practice, conducted an exciting six-day exposure trip for eight participants (four girls and four boys) from its Community Cricket Program (CCP) in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.

The eight participants embarked on a six-day exposure trip from the 12th to 17th of June 2024, designed to enhance their cricket abilities and life skills, and enable them to experience the vibrant culture and history of the nation's capital.

Starting an incredible adventure

The participants’ first day in the capital started by visiting Delhi’s most recognizable site, the Qutub Minar. As the participants approached its towering height, the monument left them in awe. Even though they had studied about its history and intricate carvings in their textbooks, they were nevertheless in amazement, when they saw its splendor up close.

Afterward, the participants visited PSD’s Delhi office, where they interacted with the PSD Delhi team and TUMI’s founder, Sumona DasGupta. She discussed the motive and values behind which she established TUMI, and how it was her unique way of paying tribute and honoring the legacy of her late son, Upamanyu, a kind and gentle person who touched upon the lives of many.

In the afternoon, the participants attended a gender workshop facilitated by the Martha Farrell Foundation’s (MFF) Program Officer, Samia Siddiqui. The interactive session and its engaging activities allowed the participants to reflect on the various gender-based stereotypes pervasive in their schools and communities. Moreover, the participants gained a broader perspective and understanding of gender equality. One of the participants, Amit* (13) shared:

“I got to learn much more about gender equality and got a much deeper understanding. Earlier, I used to think that girls were weak. But we should not think they are weak, and must give them equal importance.”

Following an informative gender session, participants toured the Safdarjung Tomb, immersing themselves in the site's rich Mughal architecture and historical significance. The participants wrapped up their day with some delightful authentic Sikkim cuisine at Dilli Haat.

Developing skills and further exploring the city

On the second day of the exposure visit, the participants visited Delhi’s iconic Lotus Temple, an architectural marvel, renowned for its serene beauty and symbolic lotus flower design. The visit offered the participants a unique opportunity to explore the temple's tranquil environment.

After visiting the Lotus Temple, participants headed to Ace Practice in Faridabad, where they further honed their batting skills on indoor nets. Excited to use the bowling machine for the first time, the participants gained a deeper understanding of batting fundamentals and enhanced their technique through various practice drills.

Later in the afternoon, the participants participated in a leadership workshop conducted by our Director-Founder, Suheil Farrell Tandon, and Projects and Training Supervisor, Akash Thapa, at PSD’s office. The participants acquired practical knowledge of leadership abilities, within and beyond the sports field, including decision-making, collaboration and effective communication. Moreover, through the interactive exercises and discussions, the participants reflected on their leadership styles and learned effective strategies to inspire and motivate others.

In the evening, the participants, along with the PSD team, visited the training grounds of Y-Ultimate, a sports organization in Zamrudpur, Delhi. Y-Ultimate focuses on providing skill education in ultimate frisbee to underprivileged individuals. The participants were engaged in an exciting frisbee session by Y-Ultimate’s facilitators, who conducted a series of individual and team activities in order to build the participants’ rudimentary understanding of the sport. Towards the end of the session, a reflective discussion took place where everyone praised each other's efforts and shared their experiences, leaving everyone in high spirits. One of the participants, Sai (13), shared:

"I had a great time playing frisbee for the first time, learning the importance of teamwork and communication with my teammates. Thank you to Y-Ultimate for giving us this opportunity.”

Comprehensive cricket training and enthusiastic team-building

On the fourth day, the participants started an exciting early morning journey to LiveSports Arena in Gurugram, where they met former Ranji Trophy player Mayank Raghav, who conducted a training session for them, covering all aspects of the game of cricket. The participants learned advanced catching and fielding approaches, and were engaged in various bowling drills designed to refine their bowling action and delivery technique. Moreover, the participants took part in batting drills to improve their approach to striking a cricket ball. After their training, participants had an interactive session, where Mayank shared his journey to professional cricket, and discussed the challenges he faced as a young aspiring cricketer.

After a restful afternoon, the participants and the PSD Delhi team engaged in a friendly mixed-gender box cricket match at PlayAll’s box cricket arena in South Extension, Delhi. This match provided a fun environment for the participants to apply their cricketing skills. Moreover, the match also fostered teamwork and camaraderie, as the participants and staff members worked together to strategize and perform their best on the field. The game was a thrilling conclusion to their day, combining physical activity with the joy of friendly competition and the spirit of sportsmanship.

Creativity and reflection through puppetry workshop

On their final day in Delhi, the participants attended a stimulating workshop with Anurupa Roy, a seasoned puppeteer with extensive expertise in various forms of puppetry. After a quick introduction, the participants were demonstrated the entire process of creating puppets and putting up a puppet performance.

Next, they were tasked with creating their own superheroes and detailing the special powers they would possess if given the opportunity. The participants enthusiastically designed their superheroes and gave them unique abilities, which ranged from flying and aiding those in distress, to communicating with animals and conquering the challenges of different seasons like rain, winter and summer.

Afterward, the participants were asked to form pairs, draw the villains of their superheroes and produce joint stories. While charting out their superhero’s stories, the participants considered various factors such as the superhero's mission, the superhero's helper, the enemy, the superhero's strategy, the superhero's final conflict with the villain, and the outcome.

To make their story more engaging, the participants could add sounds, while focusing on the puppet’s action and movement. Towards the end of the session, the participants presented their performances with each pair displaying a distinct style and an interesting storyline. The enjoyment was shared by all as they took part in this new experience, performing puppeteering for the very first time.

After the workshop, the participants shared their experiences about the exposure visit, their new learnings and how they plan to take them forward to their fellow participants. A participant, Smruti*, 13, summed up her experience as below:

“I got to learn much more about gender and leadership. The session with Y-Ultimate was a new experience for us as we got to play a new sport, and learned more about teamwork and honesty. Mayank sir built on our basics like batting, bowling and fielding, helping us improve our game. We had a great time meeting Sumona aunty and playing cricket with everyone. Playing on turf was a new experience because we do not have that kind of facility near where we live. I had a great time visiting Delhi with the PSD team!”

Gearing up for Upamanyu Mallik Cricket Tournament 2024

Preparations are now in full swing as all 50 participants of the CCP gear up for the upcoming Upamanyu Mallik Cricket Tournament, to be organized by PSD and TUMI, in Bhubaneswar, Odisha in September 2024.

The second edition of the tournament is expanded to include a total of eight teams, including six CCP teams and two guest teams from The Hope Foundation, Kolkata and Ramakrishna School, Bhubaneswar. Alongside the cricket tournament, a child rights and leadership workshop will be conducted for the guest teams and CCP participants.

The objective of the Upamanyu Mallik Cricket Tournament is to expand the participants’ learning horizons by providing them exposure opportunities to further hone their life skills and build their capacities on gender and child rights through the transformative power of cricket.

*All names have been changed to maintain the anonymity of the participants.

**Click here to watch a glimpse of the exposure visit: https://www.instagram.com/reel/C8wSWqYtSjw/

?- Kris N. Biju, Communications and Research Intern, Pro Sport Development (PSD)

Community Cricket Program – PSD, TUMI and Ace Practice

The Community Cricket Program (CCP), delivered in collaboration between Pro Sport Development (PSD), The Upamanyu Mallik Initiatives (TUMI) and Ace Practice, engages young people aged 12-16 years through the medium of cricket in order to capacitate them as gender-sensitive, socially aware leaders and agents of change within their schools and communities. The CCP is a structured, mixed-gender intervention using cricket to hone young people’s life skills, develop their leadership capabilities, and raise their awareness on issues of gender and child rights.