Published on 09:10 PM, March 31, 2019

Undaunted on wheels

Photo: Star

Determination, hard work, focus and passion can bring success to any effort.

A passionate cricket lover, Mohammad Mohasin always wanted to be a cricketer. However, since his mobility has been compromised and limited to using wheelchair for movement, his journey to fulfilling his ambition was a bumpy ride. 

But nothing can act as a barrier to a man who is on a mission. 

In 2010, Mohasin formed Wheelchair Cricket Welfare Association Bangladesh (WCWAB), acting as its founder captain. The organisation emerged as a national level non-government and non-profitable voluntary one for the physically challenged people of Bangladesh with the aim of strengthening their position in the society. 

Meanwhile, Bangladesh's progress in cricket had created a sense of pride and belief in every Bangladeshi. Following their footsteps, these warriors on the wheelchairs started their journey of playing cricket in 2010. 

They participated in major tournaments like International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) International Cricket Tournament in Bangladesh and Asia Cup in India, and won the Taj Mahal Trophy in India in 2014.

In 2016, the organisation became registered under the Social Welfare Department of the Bangladesh government, and the Bangladesh Wheelchair Cricket Team was formed with 26 players, with Mohasin as its captain. From then on, the number of players has risen to around 200, where 170 of them are registered wheelchair cricketers.

Since then, Bangladeshi wheelchair cricketers have won Walton Bangladesh-India Wheelchair T20 Cricket Series in 2017 at Dhaka, and became the Runner-up in 1st International Tri-Nation Wheelchair T20 Cricket Series at Nepal's Kathmandu. They were also one of the Top 10 Winners in Joy Bangla Youth Award-2017. In 2018, they became the champion in the International Bilateral Wheelchair T20 Cricket Series at Maharashtra and also in the 2nd Int'l Tri-Nation Wheelchair T20 Cricket Series at Uttarakhand in India.  

Wheelchair Cricket Welfare Association Bangladesh has an elected board of management, which comprises of seven members including five members who are physically challenged persons.

Watch the Star Live video to know more.