People very rarely imagined that persons with disability can play competitive outdoor games in Bangladesh. Some youths have proved through wheelchair cricket that this is possible. Mohammad Mohasin is one of them; an avid cricketer and it is not surprising that he is at the helm of an organization that promote wheelchair cricket, as well as sports for people with disabilities in Bangladesh. Mohammad’s passion for cricket grew at the age of 12 when he began playing with his classmates. The sight of a teenager in a wheelchair batting with flair and intensity attracted local crowd a lot. Eventually, Wheelchair Cricket Welfare Association of Bangladesh (WCWAB) was established in 2014. They began organizing and training interested players to develop wheelchair cricket. The association, beside participation of physically challenged youths in cricket, wants to ensure welfare and worthy life for sportsmen.
Mohasin is the pound captain of Bangladesh National Wheelchair Cricket Team. He has led his team from the front in a 2-1 series win against the India Wheelchair Cricket Team. WCWAB organized the first ever National Wheelchair Cricket Tournament at Shaheed (captain) M Mansur Ali National Handball Stadium in Dhaka on October 18, 2016. The enthralling performance of 32 Wheelchair Cricketers has again proved that people with physical limitation can achieve great things. Mohasin and his members had to put in a lot of effort to overcome a lot of hurdles. ‘Strong will power’ as Mohasin believes, keeps them running all the time. The success of the event has given each of the member endless happiness and courage to move forward.
WCWAB is pleased with whatever he has already achieved, it inked out a list of future initiatives. There are plans to provide proper training to the wheelchair cricketers. To groom these people, they need a field for practice, places for staying, food and transport facilities as they are coming from different parts of the country. WCWAB urges both government agencies and private organizations to lend support for the cause. Young Bangla, the largest networks of youth, is very proud to hand WCWAB the Joy Bangla Youth Award 2017 as one of the top 10 youth initiatives in Bangladesh.
