Foster sports

Many can recall the great period of Indian cricket between 1945 and 1955. Those were the years when the Indian Test team was never without a Parsi cricketer. In fact, Parsis almost dominated the Indian side: Rusi Mody, Polly Umrigar, Farrokh Engineer, Nari Contractor, Rusi Surti are names we can never forget. Others also represented India in a few Tests — Mehli Irani, Adi Ratnagar are two names that come to mind. There were sprinters, cyclists, boxers — in fact we were represented at the national level in most sports.

So where are the Parsi sportspersons of the present generation? What can the Parsi punchayet do to foster sports? Can we have a cricket shield between the various baugs and of course other neighborhoods? Can we have special sports scholarships? It’s time the Parsi youth were "re-inspired " for sports.

FARROKH K. R. MEHTA