DESPLAINES, Ill.
India’s star cricketer Munaf Patel was chief guest at the United Christian Cultural Association (UCCA) ceremonial kick off of their two-month long inter-church 2015 tournament here at the Dee Park Cricket Ground, May 23. His presence inspired palpable enthusiasm among the young cricket teams
Thanking UCCA for the warm welcome and this honor on his maiden visit to the city, former Test/IPL/ODI/World Cup cricketer Patel endeared himself to team captains, players and fans by dwelling on the finer elements of the game. UCCA director Keerthi Kumar Ravoori in his inaugural remarks praised UCCA leadership for this initiative with its festive atmosphere and awards. Ravoori acknowledged several community leaders present, especially guest of honor Iftekhar Shareef for facilitating Patel’s participation, and urged greater youth participation.
Shareef pledged unstinting support to the tournament and other UCCA community-oriented events. UCCA president Raju Pasumarthi outlined its vision.
UCCA director Vasant Charles, who conducted the inauguration, said that over the last three years since the tournament’s inception the passion for cricket among the youth has dramatically increased. The matches will be spread across two months and the grand championship finals will be played Aug. 8. Tournament co-chair Vinay Bandikalla unveiled the tournament objectives and explained the format.
Shirley Kalvakota presented flower bouquets to Patel and Shareef. The inaugural ceremony was hosted with the support of UCCA executive board members Emmanuel Neela, Satish Dadepogu and Pravin Neetipudi. Community figures who gave brief greetings include Dr. Nandan Thogaru, Surender Charles, Sharath Kalvakota, Babu Varma and Dr. Jaychand Pallekonda.
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