Cricket facility opened in Bay Area

FREMONT: California Cricket Academy (CCA) has opened its sixth cricket facility in Warm Springs in Fremont.

According to Kinjal Buch, president of CCA, this area is a “hotbed for cricket development” because it borders three major cities – Milpitas, San Jose and Fremont – that take part in cricket.

Anu Natrajan, the Vice Mayor of Fremont, attended the ceremony. She said it was great to be among a group of volunteers who were dedicated to the game and keen on providing opportunities for kids to learn the game.

“The city is aware of the cricket community’s needs here in Fremont. We are looking at several opportunities to find permanent facilities for cricket including two cricket grounds,” said Natrajan.

Local Junior Baseball League coordinator Vic Longford, who has worked with CCA to help open a cricket facility, also attended the ceremony.

“By working hand in hand with baseball organizers, we set an example of how community leaders can work together and support each other”, said Buch.

KeyPoint Credit Union has been a Premier Sponsor of CCA for the past 10 years. The company has participated in every annual award ceremony to present the KeyPoint Cup to the winning team of the U-17 KeyPoint Tournament. Helen Grays Jones, Senior Vice President of KeyPoint Credit Union, commented that CCA has had phenomenal success in achieving the goal of providing facilities as well as the best coaches to teach cricket to youth.

“Our Executive Management Team congratulates CCA on the new practice nets in the Warm Springs area during their 10 year anniversary,” said Jones. “We also congratulate CCA’s Board of Directors, parents and coaches for their commitment in continuing their mission of providing practice nets across the Bay Area to teach youth the fundamentals of cricket and good sportsmanship,” she added.
Mahesh Nihalani, a CCA Board of Advisor member, said it is his dream to see that cricket, like soccer, is played by every child and not only by Indo- American kids.

“I am happy and proud to see that CCA has progressed so much in the last 10 years in promoting cricket to school children here in the Bay Area,” said Nihalani. “We need to work hard to make it part of the School curriculum.”