iNDICA NEWS BUREAU-
The California Cricket Academy (CCA) gave away Special Civic Awards and scholarships to Indian American students at its 20th anniversary celebrations. The event, hosted by CCA founders Hemant and Kinjal Buch, marked two decades of promoting the sport in California and supporting young talent in the cricketing community.
The scholarships aim to support “the pursuit of cricketing excellence and those who exemplify it”. Altius Strategic Consulting and The Arjun-Vohra Trust have been dedicated to the growth of the sport, offering scholarships to talented young players for the past seven years.
The recipients of the 2023 scholarship are Vritansh Velpula in the U10 Age Category, Vihaan Apte in U12, Sai Kulkarni in U13-15, Suhrith Kaushik in U15-17, and Akshara Anand in the Girls Player Division.
The Arjun-Vohra Trust and Altius Strategic Consulting LLC. awarded their seventh Annual Player of the Year scholarships at the event held on November 5. “It’s critical to support young people and inspire them to bring out their best,” said Kanika Vohra, Investor and Advisor to Altius Strategic Consulting.
“The scholarships are a pathway to identify youth cricket talent across California, and provide international opportunities to perform at the highest level of youth cricket,” remarked Rajib Arjun, Trustee of The Arjun-Vohra Trust.
The gala was attended by 350 cricket enthusiasts, parents, community leaders, as well as well-wishers, all of whom came together to celebrate the event at Cupertino’s Main Library at Torre Avenue on one of the CCA teams’ favorite cricket fields. CCA has been dedicated to the growth and development of cricket in California. Training aspiring cricketers, organizing tournaments, and awarding scholarships, CCA has become a hub for nurturing young talent and promoting cricket in Silicon Valley, and throughout the United States.
The gala proved to be a memorable day and it also featured special recognition from the office of Assemblymember, Ash Kalra, Cupertino City Councilmember, JR Fruen, and sponsors of the academy. Assemblymember Ash Kalra (D-San José) announced his intention to introduce an Assembly Resolution that recognizes and supports cricket in California on November 6, 2023, with the same vigor that cricket is played all over the world, especially in South Asian countries, Commonwealth Nations, and the United Kingdom. It was recently announced that cricket will be in the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, California, as one of five new sports after 128 years. Cricket was played at the first modern Olympics in Paris, France back in 1900.
“Continued support from the community, sponsors, and families helps further our mission of fostering overwhelming love for cricket, as well as nurturing and developing outstanding individuals through the sport,” said CCA in a statement. CCA membership has grown from 23 to over 400 members in 8 cities across the US and its cricket teams played more than 200 games in 2023.
