Belagavi: City-based blind cricket player Basappa Laxman Vaddagol, 23, was selected for the national team in the B1 category, and will play in the world cup organised in Pakistan and Dubai between January 7 to 21.Cricket Association for the Blind in India (CABI), which functions under World Blind Cricket Limited (WBCL), selected Basavaraj, considering his past performances. He is one among three from Karnataka, selected to represent India in the world cup.Basappa is completely blind since childhood. He has completed an arts degree. He works as the SDA in the gram panchayat office in Markandey Nagar. He is an all-rounder, but is best in bowling. Samarthanam Trust for the Disabled recognized his talent and encouraged him to play in the district, state and national level blind cricket tournaments."I have played in several state and national level matches after I joined the Samarthanam Trust in 2013. I feel proud to represent India. I come from a poor family and am visually-challenged. I have three brothers, who are all blind," Basappa said.Arun Kumar, head of the Belagavi unit of Samarthanam Trust, briefed that in the B1 category cricket team, four of the 11 players are completely blind. "It will be a 40-over format match. There will be nine countries participating in the world cup, for which Basappa has been selected to represent India," he said.Samarthanam Trust for the Disabled headed by Mahantesh Kivudasannavar is functioning in Belagavi since the past 17 years, and has branches in various parts of Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand and Odisha.

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