New Cricket Facility Opens in Fremont

Submitted by Karishma Goel:

California Cricket Academy opened their sixth cricket facility in Warm Springs at a permanent cricket center in Fremont.

Two new practice nets were recently unveiled at James Leitch Elementary School, located at 47100 Fernald Ave. in Fremont.

The area is known as a "hot bed for cricket development," said Kinjal Buch, president of CCA, because it borders three major cities that take part in cricket: Milpitas, San Jose and Fremont.  

Anu Natarajan, the Vice Mayor of Fremont attended the ceremony. She said it was great to be among a group of volunteers, who were so dedicated to the game and providing opportunities for kids to learn the game.

"The city is aware of the cricket community's needs here in Fremont. We are looking at several opportunities to find permanent facilities for cricket including two cricket grounds," said Natarajan.  

Local Junior Baseball League coordinator, Mr. Vic Longford, who has worked with CCA to help open the cricket facility, also attended the ceremony.

"By working hand in hand with baseball organizers, we set an example of how community leaders can work together and support each other," said Buch. 

KeyPoint Credit Union has been a Premier Sponsor of CCA for the past 10 years. The company has participated in every annual award ceremony to present the KeyPoint Cup to the winning team of the U-17 KeyPoint Tournament. Helen Grays Jones, Senior Vice President of KeyPoint Credit Union, commented that CCA has had phenomenal success in achieving the goal of providing facilities as well as the best coaches to teach cricket to youth.

"Our Executive Management Team congratulates CCA on the new practice nets in the Warm Springs area during their 10-year anniversary," said Jones."We also congratulate CCA’s Board of Directors, parents and coaches for their commitment in continuing their mission of providing practice nets across the Bay Area to teach youth the fundamentals of cricket and good sportsmanship," she added.

Mahesh Nihalani, a CCA Board of Advisors member, said it is his dream to see that cricket, like soccer, is played by every child and not only Indo American kids. 

"I am happy and proud to see that CCA has progressed so much in the last 10 years in promoting Cricket to the school children here in the Bay Area," said Nihalani. "We need to work hard to make it part of the School curriculum."