A Cricket Tourney By Doctors, For Doctors! ‘Hansi’s Hurricanes’ win Rs 1 Lac Cash Prize in IMA Premium League
A Cricket Tourney By Doctors, For Doctors! ‘Hansi’s Hurricanes’ owned by Dr. Hansraj Alva win Rs 1 Lac Cash Prize in the FIRST IMA Premium League Cricket Tournament organized by Indian Medical Association (IMA)-Mangaluru Chapter at Sahyadri College Cricket Ground, Adyar-Mangaluru.
Mangaluru: Doctors gone Cricketers!- that’s right. And for that matter, this was a Cricket Tournament exclusively planned by the Doctors, For the Doctors. It was a day, that too on a Saturday, that a bunch of doctors from the local and nearby Mangaluru left their stethoscopes back on their office tables, and hung their white coat on the hanger, and headed on to the Sahyadri College Cricket Ground, to involve themselves fully in the spirit of Cricket, to vie for the FIRST ever IMA Premium League Cricket Tournament Trophy, including Rs one lakh cash prize for the winning team, and Rs 30,000 for the Runners-Up. The Cricket tournament also for the FIRST time had the flashing stumps/bails sponsored by an IMA member.
Dr Sachindanand Rai- President of IMA, the Man behind this FIRST IMA Premium League
And regarding IMA, there are more than 100 reasons why one should become a proud member of IMA. As per MCI ethics regulations you need to be a member of a medical association. “1.2.2 Membership in Medical Society: For the advancement of his profession, a physician should affiliate with associations and societies of allopathic medical professions and involve actively in the functioning of such bodies.” and IMA is the best association to join, because you represent the largest medical professional NGO of the world with over 2.6 lac members spread over 1698 local and 30 state branches. Apart from many other benefits, IMA provides an opportunity to participate in various sports activities for members & their family. And for that matter, regarding sports activities, the local IMA under the leadership of energetic, young and dynamic president Dr Sachidanand Rai, the man behind the FIRST IMA Premium League Cricket Tournament, resulted in sheer success, receiving high applauds from all quarters. Good job, Dr Sachi!
The Cricket tournament which started around 2.30 pm in Saturday afternoon, lasted till the wee hours of 1.30 am of Sunday morning. A total of six different teams namely ‘Ajith’s Warriors’ owned by Orthopaedic surgeon Dr. Ajith Kumar, ‘Hansi’s Hurricanes’ owned by Physician Dr. Hansraj Alva, ‘Pavan’s Panthers’ by Paediatric surgeon Dr. Pavan Kumar Hegde, ‘Prashanth’s Lions’ by Senior Urologist Dr. Prashanth Marla of , ‘Sachi’s Strikers’ by Senior Orthopaedic Dr. Sachidananda Rai and ‘Kumble Tigers’ by Cardiologist Yusuf Kumble, who happen to be all Senior members of IMA. This was the FIRST ever floodlight cricket tournament organized by Mangaluru IMA, which had received good support from the participants and their fans.
Hansi’s Hurricanes’ owned by Dr. Hansraj Alva win Rs 1 Lac Cash Prize in the FIRST IMA Premium League Cricket
Pavan’s Panthers owned by Dr Pavan Kumar the Runners-Up in the IMA premium League
Even though the cricket tournament had started at 2.30 pm in the afternoon, the formal inauguration was done at 6 pm by Pro Vice-Chancellor of Nitte University Dr. M Shantharam Shetty along with neurosurgeons Dr. K V Devadiga and Dr. Divakar Rao by releasing balloons into the air. In his inaugural address, Dr Shantharam Shetty complimenting the initiative taken by Dr Sachidanand Shetty in launching this tourney said, “Cricket tournaments like these will help to strengthen the bond between the doctors. It’s nice to see that a bevy of doctors with great enthusiasm and zeal have come forward to take part in this game. Such tournament combines us in a single platform and helps us to bring in unity among us”.
A Super Catch by Dr Vishnu Prabhu of Sachi’s Strikers Team
Neurosurgeon Dr. Divakar Rao also lauded the efforts of IMA Mangaluru Branch President Dr. Sachidanand Rai for conducting the first ever floodlight cricket tournament, and yet another neurosurgeon Divakar Rao opined that such tournaments should be organized frequently as it helps to get relief from the routine work. IMA Secretary Dr. Sudheendra sought the cooperation of all for the success of their future sports tournaments and other activities they plan to organize during the year. The event not only saw the doctors in action on the cricket field, but even their kith and kin had lots of fun and frolic on this beautiful “Saturday Afternoon & Night Fever”?
While the wives of the doctors enjoyed cheering up their hubbies on the field, their children engaged themselves in various games organized for them, which fetched them attractive prizes bought by their daddies? And in case you were hungry, there was sumptuous snacks/drinks/buffet, including sugar-cane juice, ice Cream etc- the event was more of a ‘Carnival’ than a real ‘Cricket Tournament’- and everyone enjoyed it. Thanks to Dr Sachi and his team for putting up a great show, probably ONE of its kind in the history of IMA-Mangaluru. Good job, doctors!
After a big tussle on the field between the six teams in this six over each match, ‘Hansi’s Hurricanes’ owned by Physician Dr. Hansraj Alva, and ‘Pavan’s Panthers’ owned by Paediatric surgeon Dr. Pavan Kumar Hegde emerged into the finals- and ‘Hansi’s Hurricanes’ emerged as winners, carrying home a cash prize of Rs one lakh and a beautiful trophy, while ‘Pavan’s Panthers’ took home Rs 30,000 and a trophy being the Runners-Up in the tourney. Individual prizes like the “Man of the Match” and “Man of the Series” and attractive prizes were also given.
As they say “Winning is not important, but participation is important”, all the players of the six teams played with enthusiasm and in cricket spirit, with fun without any enmity or hate, with a motto “Doctors in Unity”, at Workplace and also on Cricket Field?