Udupi (The Hindu): Village holds cricket event with teams that have players from different communities

When Syed Hussain, 35, returned to his native village of Hejmady after working in Dubai for 16 years, he was distraught to see how it had changed. The coastal districts of Udupi and Dakshina Kannada had started to make headlines for communal tension and clashes.

But what hadn’t changed was the passion for cricket. Mr. Hussain could see that the sport’s appeal cut across religious divides. It sparked an idea in his mind: why not use it to build bridges between communities, starting with his village on the southern tip of Udupi district?

Mr. Hussain decided to launch the Hejmady Premier League (HPL), in which the winning team would be awarded the Souharda Trophy (harmony trophy). Each of the participating teams had to comply with one condition: it could have only seven members from one community, and the remaining players have to be from other communities.

The first HPL was held on April 1 and 2. Eight teams from Hejmady and surrounding villages participated. The teams had fancy names: Stars Kodi, Kings Kodi, South Sultans, Northern Royals, Bypass Bullets, Kannangar Masters, Bastipadpu Blasters and Avaral Attackers. All came with their own jerseys and flags. The tournament, held under the banner of ‘Friends Hejmady’, drew enthusiastic crowds.

While Kannangar Masters had seven Muslims and four Hindus, Bastipadpu Blasters had seven Hindus and four Muslims. “This is the first time such a tournament has been held. It will certainly help in promoting goodwill between various communities,” said Sandesh Shetty, vice-captain of Kannangar Masters.

Players as well as spectators included people who worked in the Middle East and came down to participate in or to just watch the event. Mr. Hussain organised the tournament with some financial support from three companies in the Middle East.

“This won’t be a one-off affair,” Mr. Hussain said. “Given the response, I intend to hold the HPL every year. I also plan to involve more people from my village in organising it.”