MUMBAI: Pro Star League, an under-16 cricket tournament which aims to identify and nurture talent at the grassroots, kicked off a national-level mentorship camp Saturday.
Supported by the School Games Federation of India (SGFI) and in partnership with the VVS Sports Academy, Sourav Ganguly Foundation and Yuvraj Singh Center of Excellence, and Zaheer Khan, the camp will go on till the first week of May.
Twenty-Six teams from the four zones – north, south, east, west, qualified for the mentorship phase. The city phase level of the league was simultaneously contested in 10 cities (Mumbai, Jaipur, Pune, Ahmedabad, Chandigarh, Delhi, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Bengaluru) where over 900 schools battled for the opportunity to be mentored by the legends.
The mentors will select the top 8 teams, who will compete for the Pro Star League title, by heading into the national rounds. Top talent from the camp will also be scouted for the 2018 World School Cricket Cup.
Pro Star League was formed with a vision to get students back to the playground and develop sport at the grassroots. Founded by two sports enthusiasts – Pooja Mody and Neeraj Lulla, the league is built around the philosophy to ‘catch them young’.
Adding to the same, VVS Laxman said: “The VVS Sports Academy is happy to be a part of Pro Star League. All the participants in the league are extremely talented. The organizers have done a great job in reaching out to youngsters all over the nation. I am sure some upcoming stars are hidden among these children.”
Pooja Mody, co-founder, Pro Star League said: “This is our first season and the response we have received is overwhelming. The support from legends such as Sourav Ganguly, Yuvraj Singh, VVS Laxman and Zaheer Khan is a huge motivation factor for us to carry forward this tournament. Students these days are glued to their phones and indulge in little or no physical activities, which could be dangerous in the long run. We see a lot of potential lying untapped and look forward to unearth them through Pro Star League and bring children back to the playgrounds.”
The camps will be held in four cities – Mumbai, Hyderabad, Delhi and Kolkata.
