Daijiworld Media Network - Kundapur
Kundapur, Jan 9: A young man who began his cricket journey playing tennis-ball cricket with friends in his village has now achieved a remarkable milestone by being selected for the Indian team for the Deaf Cricket Asia Cup T20 Tournament. By turning his disability into a challenge and achieving success through determination, he has emerged as an inspiration to many.
Sanith Shetty of Keradi, who played cricket for the Durga Cricketers team of Keradi, has been selected to represent India in the Deaf Asia Cup T20 Cricket Tournament, scheduled to be held from February 18 to 25 at Barabati Stadium in Cuttack, Odisha. Practice matches against Sri Lanka will be held from February 14 to 17.
The Men’s Selection Committee of the Indian Deaf Cricket Association has announced a 16-member Indian team. Sanith Shetty, a batter and fast-bowling all-rounder, is the only player from Karnataka to be selected for the team. The Indian side will be led by Virendra Singh from Himachal Pradesh.
Sanith is the son of Surendra Shetty, an auto-rickshaw driver from Keradi village, and homemaker Shetty Hosagadde. Born in Moodlakatte, Sanith completed his primary education at HMM English Medium School, Kundapur, his high school education at Sri Venkataramana High School, and later pursued a BCA degree from IMJ Degree College, Moodlakatte. He is currently working as an HR professional in a private company in Bengaluru. Sanith has been hearing-impaired since birth, but has overcome this challenge to earn a place in the Indian team.
He initially received cricket training under Nithin Saranga and is presently undergoing training at the Chakravarthy Cricket Club in Kundapur under Mohammed Arman Garadi. The 21-year-old cricketer has also received support and encouragement from Prithviraj Shetty Hunchani, a special-abled cricketer from Kundapur who has previously represented India.
Sanith was selected for the Under-14 Mangaluru zone during 2018–19 and was also chosen for the Udupi district team. Under his leadership, he represented Karnataka in the Indian Deaf Champions Tournament. He impressed with a strong performance for Karnataka in the 9th National Cricket Championship held last year. Although he had earlier received an opportunity to play for India in a tournament held in Dubai, he could not participate at the time due to the absence of a passport. This is the first time Sanith has been selected to play for the Indian team.
Expressing his happiness, Sanith Shetty said, “I was confident of being selected for the Indian team this time due to my good performance for Karnataka. Finally, my dream of playing for India is coming true. This is the reward for all the hard work I have put in so far, and I am extremely happy. I am grateful to my parents, teachers and everyone who supported me.”