March 29, 2021.
The ML Jaisimha Sports Foundation, a Sports Trust formed by the family and friends of ML Jaisimha, kickstarted its agenda by way of the Inaugural ML Jaisimha Memorial Lecture by Sunil Gavaskar, avowedly Jaisimha's greatest fan.
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| Vivek Jaisimha, Keerti, Sunil Gavaskar, Jayanthi Jaisimha and Vidyuth Jaisimha |
A key initiative of the ML Jaisimha Foundation is to provide free coaching to 30 deserving young underprivileged cricketers, 15 boys and 15 girls in the 15 to 19 age group. This was ML Jaisimha’s dream. The cricketers will initially be from the State of Telangana and training will commence once permission is granted by the government during this pandemic.
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| Me speaking about the Foundation - Jayesh Ranjan, SMG, Junie aunty and Ritika on the dais |
Further activities that the Trust proposes to take up are
- An annual ML Jaisimha Memorial Lecture by an eminent personality
- Coaching by experts assisted by Trainers and Physiotherapists
- Online Webinars, Lectures
- Debates and Panel Discussions
- Workshops on Leadership, Peak Performance, Umpiring, Sports Management, Commentating
- An E-Zine on Subscription Model
- Cricket and Sports Library
- Digital dissemination of cricketing knowledge
- Match opportunities in India and abroad
- Scholarships for talented sportspersons
- Fund-raising activities
Me and Junie aunty
Sunil Gavaskar kindly consented to deliver the inaugural lecture. A select gathering of 100 people was invited which included the Hyderabad senior women's team and select members of the press.
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| Me, aunty and Vidyuth |
Jayesh Ranjan, IAS, a trustee on the Foundation (other Trustees are Jayanthi Jaisimha, Vivek Jaisimha, Vidyuth Jaisimha, Ritika Jaisimha, Jayesh Ranjan, Tarun Singh Chauhan, MV Ranganath and myself) called the meeting to order, invited Sunil Gavaskar to garland MLJ's portrait and take the dais along with Mrs Jayanthi Jaisimha and Ritika Jaisimha. I introduced the Foundation's plans and invited Sunil Gavaskar to deliver his lecture.
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| Loved this pic - me and old buddy Vidyuth confabulating |
And then SM Gavaskar spoke as only he can.
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| Sunil Gavaskar |
It was as well-crafted a speech, as well-constructed as any of his knocks we have seen. SMG began with how he will always be a fan of MLJ, forever and forever.
He recalled how he saw a black and white picture of MLJ as a ten-year-old and was struck by it and ever since MLJ has been his idol. In 10 years time, he was playing for India alongside his idol, heading to the West Indies for the historic 1971 tour. He recalled the initial interactions with MLJ, how he tried to copy Jai's habit of using cold cream on his hands, his infected fingernail which was treated by Govind Raj and PK (stick it in a lemon), his discussions on cricket and life with MLJ, how he wished that he had got 300 runs less on his maiden tour so that Durrani and MLJ could have made the England tour. The way the small yet key contributions that these two seniors made was overlooked when analysing the success of the tour and we are left wondering again at the importance of assessing contributions by their impact and not sheer numbers.
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| Nice shot by Kumar sir - MLJ in front |
He spoke of how every March 3 (MLJ's birthday) he wishes his idol and how on July 7 (MLJ's death anniversary) he wakes up not wanting to get out of bed.
And then the toughest person we have seen perhaps, showed why he was the toughest, broke down at the memory of his idol passing away, and how he could not deal with the fact that he would be no more, and how he did not want to see him any different from how he always remembered him. And as he choked, we in the audience felt that emotion as if it were own own and remembered that we were all mortal.
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| Joel and D Suresh who came all the way from Haryana to attend the function |
SMG had a conversation with his wife and she told him he was being selfish and that he should meet MLJ, whatever state he was in, for MLJ's sake. SMG did come on July 7, met MLJ, was glad that he looked just the same. He left and MLJ also decided to leave soon after.
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| Me and my first captain - Shivlal Yadav |
To see such open emotion, to see SMG break down and choke not once but twice, was a revelation. This is how deeply one feels. Even as a fan he had to be the greatest I felt. It was beautiful.
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| Joel clicking a selfie with SMG |
He then switched on to the game and as memorial lectures go, gave his views on the improvements to be made in the game - longer boundaries, a relaxed bouncer rule, less timewasting to contain games, removal of leg byes - and other improvements without changing the game too drastically. Like I said, it was perfectly crafted with a foot in the past and another leading to the future. Superbly balanced.
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| Venkatapathi Raju and Vijay Mohan Raj |
Some important guests were Shivlal Yadav, Venkatapathi Raju, D Suresh, Carlton Saldanha, Rajeev Reddy, Vijay Mohan Raj - might have missed a few here and there. After the lecture, we all had some fine high tea, organised by Pallavi who did a great on in organising the event at short notice. (Tarun remotely got the whole show going with his enthusiasm, energy and clear direction - so big thanks there - he couldn't make it due to the COVID situation there.) SMG patiently took pictures with everyone almost, standing up each time to take the picture, signed books, bats tirelessly.
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| With the Hyderabad Senior Women's Cricket Team |
All his great qualities were on display - courage, humility, patience, style, candour, loyalty, awareness, humour. Wonderful. I gifted him a copy of 50 Not Out which he graciously accepted.
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| Me gifting a copy of 50 Not Out to SMG - Didn't realise that the photographer had clicked a pic |
For the ML Jaisimha Sports Foundation, it was a wonderful start made possible by the incomparable SMG. Now to build on it.
For those who wish to donate to the Foundation, here are the details to make the donations to.
M.L. Jaisimha Sports Foundation
Account Number 10761011000409
IFSC Code PUNB17610
Punjab National Bank
PNB Kapra, Dr A.S Rao Nagar,
G Pay - 9866355154
Address - 207/5, Bantia Estate, Sikh Road, Secunderabad - 500 003
Contact - Vidyuth Jaisimha 98663 55154, Ritika - 98668 69179
4 comments:
Yes . Hari, wonderful evening it was. Appreciate each and every one's effort. Wishing the foundation to produce talented under previleged Boys and Girls to stardom.
Fabulous! Gavaskar was the biggest icon in my childhood days. No mention of cricket was complete without a discussion of Gavaskar.
Thanks Sai.
Yes Dr Seven. His cricketing accomplishments apart, he is a wonderful person. To come in these times at risk to himself, smiling and taking pictures with everyone who asked, being patient and compassionate (he didn't get irritated when the mike went off for a while mid-speech), I could go on and on. It was an experience to see him in action. As an aside, I remember sending him a copy of my first book 'The Men Within' and he sent me a handwritten note from a hotel then in 2007, thanking me. That's the stuff he is made of.
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