Since he was little, Azhar Andani always played cricket and his dream was to be a professional player for a team in India.
When he arrived in Portugal, he overcame several challenges and at 27 he saw his dream come true, when he was chosen to play for the National Cricket Team in Portugal.
Azhar says it was one of the happiest days of his life.
The responsibility is now greater, as he wears the shirt of his new nation and hopes to help the team achieve good results and stay in a good position in the international rankings.
And like any professional sportsman, Azhar trains hard and tries to have balanced diet.
Believing, is the key word for Azhar. Believing that it is possible, that with effort and dedication and never giving up, a dream can be achieved.
Now, as a professional cricket player, he has the opportunity to compete in national and international matches with the Portuguese team, which is his new nation, says Azhar.
Find below the links to follow cricket activities:
https://www.ecn.cricket/european-cricket-championship/scores-fixtures
https://youtube.com/c/ECNEuropeanCricketNetwork
The plans are to keep playing until the body allows it, try to achieve the best results and prepare a team for the Jubilee Games.
Cricket is a sport similar to baseball and is widely admired in the UK, India, Pakistan and Australia.
In Portugal, the history of Cricket goes back to the time of the Peninsular War in the 19th century (1809-1814), when the English troops of Wellington were installed in Lisbon, but the Portuguese Cricket Association was only founded in 1994.
These days we have the National Cricket Federation. The sport is gaining more and more fans and the good news is that, soon, the Municipality will build a baseball field in Lisbon.
“Don't stop practicing sports, whatever they are, once or twice a week, as it is good for the body and the mind, and don't stop believing that it's possible”, these are the words left by Azhar at the end of this conversation.
Azhar invites everyone to find out more about this sport and even try out playing it. You may even get addicted!
