Basappa Vadgol

Basappa was born on 29th July 1994 to Lakshman and Gangavva in a village called Markendaya in Belgaum district. His was a case of blindness at birth. Till the age of about 10 years he could see a bit but after that he became completely blind. Did they consult a doctor? Yes, but they were told that a crucial nerve was affected at birth itself and so the blindness was irreversible. He has been categorised as a B1 player. They are five children in the family and Basappa is the third child. Shockingly, four of them are blind, including Basappa. He has two brothers and two sisters. His elder brother is married and has two normal children, a boy and a girl. Basappa hopes that as a result of his association with blind cricket in India, he will land a decent job and help his family. Basappa studied in the Maheshwari School for the Blind at Belgaum, from the First to the Tenth Standard. He obtained his graduation in Arts from the college at Dharwar in a normal college. In the examinations he got helpers to write the answers. When did he get into blind cricket? In the school he got good exposure to the game. He played well in the school team events. Matches at State level were played in Shimoga. That’s where his play was noticed by Samarthana. They took him under their umbrella, trained him, helped and encouraged him to get into the State team and play for the state. Now he has been selected for the National Team. Samarthanam has played a marvellous role in his career in cricket. This World Cup in Dubai and Pakistan will be his debut into the International Level. He is an all-rounder, bats and bowls. He does not have any difficulty in playing the ball. He can trace the ball’s path to him and play the right shot. The only difficulty he has is when the ball comes in through the air. The rules for Blind Cricket, however, ensure that such balls are not bowled to B1 players. In fielding he faces some difficulty when the ball rises and comes into him. A rolling ball does not pose any problem. He stays in Belgaum. There is a Samarthanam branch here, and he goes there regularly to train and be always fit to play. He does not stay in the hostel since his house is to the ground. What is his ambition? Play well and bring laurels to his country, he says. What does he want to do in the future, after cricket? He wants to continue in cricket in some capacity. He has gone through difficulties and he has learnt how to cope with situations. He wants to help other blind persons who have the potential to play. Maybe he can become a coach! His Father is an agriculturist. Does Basappa have any leanings towards farming? The answer is emphatic: NO!

• Hometown Belgaum, Karnataka
• Education/Qualification B. A (Arts)
• Category B1 (Fully Blind)