Sachin Tendulkar’s Kashmir Valley visit to boost local industry

Srinagar, February 21

Shah Rafi, owner of the Art & Craft Bazaar at Dhobiwan in Kunzar village on Gulmarg-Srinagar road, still cannot believe that cricket superstar Sachin Tendulkar visited his place on Wednesday. “I couldn’t believe for a while that Sachin Tendulkar was standing in front of me! Initially I thought it must be some buyer. But what I saw was beyond my wildest expectation,” he exclaimed.

“His wife, Anjali and daughter Sara accompanied him. Not only he encouraged, interacted, and appreciated our shawl and carpet weavers whom he saw making their products, he also showed keen interest in their work and inquired about every detail that goes into making these handicrafts,” said Rafi. He added that immediately after Sachin left his place, news had spread all across the country and he got calls from people in Mumbai, Gujarat and from other places in the country.

“The callers showed interest in seeing and buying our products. But, it is not just about business that we are excited about. His presence has helped the confidence and commitment of our artisans and that is the greatest and the most precious gift he gave us today,” he added.

Earlier on his arrival in Kashmir, Sachin visited the MJ Sports Factory in Charsoo village of Awantipora in south Kashmir. Since his visit to this factory, owner Muhammad Shaheen Parray is on cloud nine. “He saw Kashmir willow cricket bats at our factory and smiled. He said his sister gifted him the first cricket bat with which he played and that was a Kashmir willow cricket bat! We gave him a cricket bat and he held it in his hands, swung it in the air, moved front foot and back foot with the bat and then said that it was a very good product,” said Shaheen.

“He has promised to promote the Kashmir bat industry and our factory. His coming has been a divine intervention for the local bat manufacturing industry. Buyers from all over the country and even from abroad have been calling. Allah sent him to us so that the local cricket bat industry stands alongside the best bat manufacturers in the world,” Shaheen said, bubbling with confidence.