Rohit Sharma’s childhood coach, Dinesh Lad has expressed his displeasure over the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority’s (MHADA) decision to demolish the school ground of Swami Vivekanand International School, callling the decision a ‘demarcation of football and cricket’. The venue also serves as the childhood ground of Rohit Sharma, where he played cricket during his school days.
Rohit Sharma’s alma mater, SVIS Gorai, faces a setback as Mhada demolishes its sports turf, citing ‘commercial use.’ Principal denies claims, while coach Dinesh Lad laments the loss of vital sports infrastructure. 🏏⚽ #RohitSharma #SVISGorai #SportsInfrastructure pic.twitter.com/SyVYD3HhVY
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“I met Mhada officials and requested them to stop the demolition and give the school some time to re-solve the issue, but they didn’t pay any heed to my request. This ground has nurtured nearly 100 champion cricketers. Now with the dismantling of this net, the demarcation of football and cricket sections will be erased. Children will be unable to play,” said Dronacharya awardee Dinesh Lad.
‘They Exploited Space, We Had Warned Them’: MHADA Vice Chairman
MHADA Vice-Chairman and Chief Officer of Mumbai Board, Milind Borikar has given a statement on the authority’s latest action on Rohit Sharma’s school ground, stating that they had received ‘complaints’ of the school ‘exploiting space’, and that, an ‘adequate notice’ was already issued to them.
“There were complaints… school authorities had erected big nets and were commercially exploiting the space. That is against the rules. They were allowing outsiders to play and charging them a hefty fee. We gave adequate notice to the school but they remained adamant. So we had to undertake demolition,” said Milind Borikar.
