Twin cities’ triumph

It was sweet timing for the Zoroastrian Club of Secunderabad/Hyderabad, lifting the Jiji Irani Challenge Cup after a lapse of 12 years. The annual cricket tournament played between the Zoroastrian Clubs of Nagpur, Jamshedpur, Secundera­bad/Hyderabad, Calcutta and Surat was hosted by Jamshedpur from November 12-16, 2004. The Challenge Cup was instituted by Dr Jamshed Irani in the 1970s in memory of his father, the late Jiji Irani who was a keen cricketer.

The lads from the twin cities savored the additional success of remaining unbeaten throughout the tournament, as well as winning a number of individual trophies. Varzavand Debara was the Man of the Series, having also picked up the Man of the Match in all the games his team played in, save the one against Surat. Maneck Hormusji lifted the Best Fielder trophy. Captained by Khoremand Siganporia, the Secunderabad/Hydera­bad 11was also awarded the Beji Bulsara Trophy for the best-disciplined team, playing in the gentleman’s spirit of the willow game.

Top: The winning Secunderabad/Hydera­bad team with Club president Antia (seated, center) and office bearers; Navzar Dotivala, chairman of the Jamshedpur Parsi Association (inset); Bhagwagar presents Challenge Cup to Khoremand Siganporia; chief guest Mehroo Dastur welcomed by Cawas Saiwalla

Raising the pitch of team performance was the intensive coaching given to the lads for months by veteran cricketer Minoo Siganporia, states Kerfegar Antia, president of the Zoroastrian Club and managing committee member of the Parsi Zoroastrian Anjuman of Secun­derabad-Hyderabad. A large and vocal cheering party, including ladies, accompanied the team to Jamshedpur and a goodly turnout of admirers received them at Secunderabad railway station with banners, flowers and sweets and the promise of a special felicitation, adds Antia.

Jamshedpur’s Zubin Palia and Homiar Dumasia were adjudged the best bowler and batsman respectively. Surat’s Mahiyar Patel was the best wicketkeeper while Khusroo Kadava of the same city received the Edi Aibara Trophy for the most promising youngster. Surat is slated to hold the next edition of the tournament, as per Nagpur’s Dilnavaz Bhag­wagar who was the chief guest at the closing ceremony.