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Saturday, June 21, 2008

1983 Cup Silver Jubilee celebrations to kick-off

The Silver Jubilee celebrations of the historic 1983 World Cup win will kick-off on Sunday with the re-union of the champion team members for a series of programmes, including a grand felicitation by the Cricket Board.

The celebrations will unfold in the afternoon with Vijay Mallya-owned United Breweries and Gitanjali Jellers organising an event where the team members will unveil a bejewelled bat to mark Indian cricket's most memorable achievement.

The former cricketers will also play a round of golf in the afternoon at the Jaypee Golf course in Greater Noida.

The Cricket Board will felicitate the heroes of the nation, who had grounded the mighty West Indies to clinch the coveted Cup at Lord's on June 25 in 1983, later in the evening at a star-studded ceremony in a swanky city hotel.

The players will be felicitated with Rs 25 lakh each in the presence of a host of dignitaries, including Sports Minister MS Gill.

Melody queen Lata Mangeshkar had also been invited to grace the felicitation function but the legendary playback singer would not be able to make it owing to health reasons.

Lata had helped the BCCI raise funds to honour 'Kapil's Devils' through a special concert following the Indian team's triumph in the quadrennial extravaganza for the first and only time. Her concert in the national capital had mobilised Rs 20 lakh for the then cash-strapped BCCI and the team members were paid Rs one lakh each from the proceeds.

Other invitees include all former Test captains, all Test cricketers based in Delhi, women international cricketers in Delhi, women's former and current India captains and past office bearers of the BCCI.

Besides, the President and Secretary of all state associations and ambassadors of cricketing nations would also be present on the occasion.

On the same morning, the BCCI's all-powerful working committee, headed by its President Sharad Pawar, will meet for what has been described as a "routine" meeting.

The agenda includes tabling of reports of various sub-committees like the Tours Programmes and Fixtures Committee, the Umpires committee, the pitch and grounds committee and the National Cricket Academy for ratification.

On the subsequent morning, the team will leave for London to attend the private celebrations arranged by Sunil Gavaskar at the prestigious Long Room of the Lord's where they created history 25 years ago.

BCCI President Sharad Pawar is expected to attend the gala dinner on Wednesday.

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