Times News NetworkKanpur: As many as 525 aspiring fast bowlers, including boys and girls, appeared on the opening day of the Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association’s (UPCA) “Speedster Hunt” programme held at Kamla Club on Wednesday. The two-day talent hunt programme will conclude on Thursday.During the trials, each participant was given an opportunity to bowl six deliveries, with the speed of every ball being measured through a radar speed gun by the organisers. Among the boys, the highest bowling speed recorded on the first day was 128 kmph, while the top speed among girls was 108 kmph.UPCA secretary Prem Manohar Gupta said that the “Speedster Hunt” is a special talent search campaign aimed at identifying promising fast bowlers from across Uttar Pradesh and providing them with opportunities to progress in cricket. He informed that 35 talented fast bowlers would be selected from different parts of the state under the initiative.Gupta said the campaign has received an overwhelming response from players due to the facility of free registration. He added that the objective of the programme is to groom a strong new generation of fast bowlers, both boys and girls, and provide talented cricketers from every region of the state with opportunities to move ahead.Mohd Ahmad Talib, member of the UPCA media committee, said seven centres have been designated for the trials, including Ghazipur, Prayagraj, Gorakhpur, Lucknow, Kanpur, Agra and Meerut. The programme is being organised for boys and girls in the 16-24 age group.He informed that trials had already been successfully conducted in Ghazipur, Prayagraj, Gorakhpur and Lucknow. At the Kanpur centre alone, more than 1,700 players from 12 districts —Lalitpur, Mahoba, Hamirpur, Raebareli, Kanpur Nagar, Auraiya, Jhansi, Banda, Fatehpur, Jalaun, Kanpur Dehat and Kannauj — had registered for the programme.………………
