PN Sankaran, Jasminder Singh, Padma Bhat, and Suresh K Chopra at the Himalaya Cup launch.

At a time when kids in the country do dream of taking up cricket as a career, it is in the fitness of things that schools cricket enjoys great patronage in India.

Thus it is no wonder that the third edition of the popular Himalaya Cup has attracted 56 teams in the Delhi segment of the under-15 cricket tournament.

By securing the participation of 260 schools across four cities and ensuring the involvement of the respective state cricket associations, the Himalaya Cup will create a platform where the boys of this age group can play competitive cricket.

The Delhi segment of the tournament will be held in four groups and will start on September 13. The tournament will later move on to Jharkhand and the winning teams will compete for the Himalaya Champions Trophy, according to chief organizer PN Sankaran of Procam International.

“It is important to instill values of sports ethics and professionalism in formative years,” Sankaran added. “That was why we conceptualized this age group series three years ago.”

Through this tournament, the organizers seek to drive home the values of determination, skill and hard work among youngsters, said DDCA Vice President, Suresh K Chopra, at a function in Delhi to launch the event.

“These elementary factors are essential in the competitive environment for the success of any sports person,” Chopra added.

Sponsored by Himalaya Drug Company Limited, the success of the previous tournaments in Bangalore, Hyderabad and Delhi prompted the organizers to include the Jharkhand segment in the annual series.