We Kiwi-Indians love cricket, and we love it even more when players of Indian origin do well and make the community proud. Kiwi-Indian players have contributed immensely to the sport and to New Zealand cricket. While Deepak Patel led the way we saw many other Indian origin players follow his footsteps and do extremely well. It was an absolute joy for us to see Rachin Ravindra make his debut against India in India. Mumbai-born Ajaz Patel taking 10 wickets in an innings made us all swell with pride.
With the intent of seeing more such Kiwi-Indian players, Arjun Gill who has been a Trustee on the Canterbury Cricket Trust for about 5 years now, wants the Indian community to come forward and put their financial might behind Sir Richard Hadlee Sports Centre - an upcoming indoor training facility at Hagley Park.
L-R - Lee Robinson, Chairman CCT, Suz Pearce Executive Manager CCT, Graham Harris President Sydenham Cricket Club, Sir Richard Hadlee, Trevor Watt - Athfield Architects, Hayden Ryan Fundraising Committee, Quartly Gunn, Site Manager Nayor Love
A pet project of The Canterbury Cricket Trust and Kiwi cricket legend, Sir Richard Hadlee, the Centre is meant to be a community asset that will benefit not only cricket players, but thousands of players of many sports, providing them easy access to world-class facilities to train in. Fundraising efforts have taken the project to well over halfway point, but a further push of $1.6m is needed to complete the project.
Christchurch has over the years become a hub for cricket players of numerous ethnic backgrounds. A walk around South Hagley on any weekend day during the year, one comes across many Indian, Pakistani, Afghani and players from other ethnicities practising and refining their game.
Since the Canterbury earthquakes, Christchurch has been without a dedicated indoor cricket facility, forcing players to travel to access facilities in Rangiora and Lincoln often by carpooling in the winter months; these facilities are often stretched for bookings, which has resulted in many players missing out on coaching and training opportunities.
The Sir Richard Hadlee Sports Centre will once again provide indoor training facilities for all grades of junior, men’s, women’s, college, club, age-level, provincial, national and international cricket; as well as multi-sport use, meaning the wider community will gain great benefit from having this central hub.
NZ Cricketer Stephen Book who bought the building along with his wife Heather Boock with the intention of turning it into an indoor sports facility, told us, “Heather and I decided to provide the funds to secure the Horticulture building as our way of showing our gratitude for the effort others had put in, in my early cricket years. Our hope now is that our cricket community actively joins us in funding this project to recreate a hub for cricket at Hagley Park. Someone did it for us, and we encourage you to be a part of this project so that together we can provide the same for the coming generations.
“We love cricket. A good indoor training facility is essential at all levels, and the Sir Richard Hadlee Sports Centre will complement what has already become a world-renowned cricket ground. It will be a special facility and a fitting legacy to New Zealand’s greatest cricketer Sir Richard Hadlee. We are very proud to be involved with this project.”
Sir Richard Hadlee who has gifted $800,000 through his trust as seed funding for the refurbishment of the new Sports Centre at Hagley Oval, told us, “To have my name associated with the Sports Centre is a great honour. Our relationship with the Canterbury Cricket Trust will consolidate a foundation for ongoing support for future generations. To know that thousands of people will use this facility to enhance their skills and grow their love of cricket is a wonderful legacy that I am proud to be part of. To be able to give back to the community is especially pleasing as I have had so much pleasure from cricket, and I thank our Trustees for supporting this worthwhile project.
“The new Sports Centre at NZ’s premier cricket ground is a much-needed building that will not only enhance and complement the current facilities on the ground but will help the growth and development of cricket in Canterbury. It will prepare future boys and girls who may go on to play for Canterbury, and hopefully become our future Blackcaps and White Ferns.”
Arjun Gill is sure that the completion of the centre will provide the infrastructure and facilities required to bring Hagley up to a world class cricket precinct and which will provide support for the game from the grassroots level to the highest representation at international level. He is hopeful that the Kiwi-Indian community will help raise funds to build the future generations of Kiwi-Indian players at The Sir Richard Hadlee Sports Centre.
You can get involved by making a donation either via website hagleyoval.co.nz or can be in touch with Suzanne Pearce via email for more information suzanne.pearce@canterburycrickettrust.co.nz.
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