Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar inaugurated a free cricket training program for students of the NMMC at the Sachin Tendulkar Cricket Academy, located at the DY Patil Stadium in Nerul.

The initiative aims to provide high-quality cricket training to talented students from municipal schools, fostering the next generation of cricket stars.

The Sachin Tendulkar Cricket Academy conducted the three-day selection camp to assess the cricket skills of over 1,100 students from municipal schools under the guidance of Chief Coach Atul Gaikwad.

From this pool, 240 children were shortlisted for the final test, with 20 boys and 20 girls ultimately selected to receive a year of free cricket training along with cricket kits provided by the academy. Notably, the students from NMMC schools will not be charged any training fees.

This year’s selection process follows the success of last year, where 13 boys and three girls from the initial 20 selected students were trained at the academy. The current selection test aims to identify talented players under the age of 15.

During the inauguration, Tendulkar praised the efforts of the municipal corporation, teachers, and parents for recognizing the inherent skills in children and providing them with opportunities at a young age. He expressed his belief that this initiative would cultivate quality players who could excel in the sport.

Interacting with the students, Tendulkar emphasized the importance of having mentors who can identify and nurture talent. “A caring person who recognizes our skills and provides the right opportunity is necessary in life,” he said.

Tendulkar also highlighted the dual paths in sports—one driven by material pursuits and the other by passion. Encouraging young athletes to embrace the journey of sports, he said, “No matter how many obstacles we face, we find a way through them, and this journey increases our enthusiasm and leads to success.”

“This partnership offers students a rare opportunity to learn from the best”, said Dr Kailash Shinde, commissioner, NMMC.