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Rohit Pawar, grandnephew of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar is the first from the clan to be elected as president of Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA). He is also the only one from the family to follow in the footsteps of his great uncle, who once headed the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and International Cricket Council (ICC), the global governing body of cricket.
MCA looks after cricket administration for Maharashtra, except Mumbai and Vidarbha; both have separate bodies.
The new role for 37-year-old Rohit, an MLA from the Karjat-Jamkhed assembly constituency in Ahmednagar district, is akin to securing a second chance at being associated with a sport close to his heart. “I love to play cricket but had to pursue a professional career at the age of 20 and hence could not focus on the sport,” Rohit said, adding that it is an opportunity for him to improve cricket.
He was voted into the presidential seat unopposed at the MCA International Stadium, Pune, last week.
“Cricketers take pride in representing their country in international cricket. We are working for an organisation, which is reputed and works for cricket – we take pride in that,” he said, when asked about the symbiotic relationship between political families and the game. He referenced how “Pawar saheb brought transformation in the BCCI administration”.
“He introduced pension for former players, started giving them more opportunities, created new infrastructure and stadiums. In India, cricket is the biggest sport and the fan-base includes members of political families,” he added.
Rohit, always dressed in white shirts and denims, is close to his great uncle and it is believed is being groomed by the veteran leader on the fundamentals of public life.
Speaking about his new role and no one from the family contesting MCA polls thus far, he said, “I have always started from scratch. Even in politics, I started my career from zilla parishad (district council).” He was elected to Pune zilla parishad from Baramati, the pocket-borough of the Pawars, in 2017.
Grandson of Pawar’s elder brother Dinkarrao, Rohit has been associated with sugar and poultry business. After he graduated in management studies from the Mumbai University, he joined Baramati Agro Limited, an agro-industry in which his father, Rajendra Pawar, is the managing director. He is also the former president of the Indian Sugar Mills Association, a body of private and cooperative sugar mills in India.
MCA, however, is a different ball game.
“It is a prestigious organisation with good infrastructure and grounds. They also have a good team but there is always a scope for improvement,” he said, adding, that he plans to achieve this by involving former officials and players.
“I will focus on all aspects — from selection of players to improving infrastructure even at the district level. Equally important will be bringing transparency, increasing the involvement of players and providing full support to the women’s team along with the men’s team,” he said.
He is not daunted at being new to this game, as he believes “you don’t have to be a pro in cricket to run administration”.
“Those who run hospitals are not necessarily doctors but are good administrators. It is all about handling people, resources, coordinating with the government. Those who know this well can try their luck,” said Rohit.
Faisal is with the political team and covers state administration and state politics. He also covers NCP.
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