SOURAV GOES BACK TO SCHOOL!!!

GANGULY GOES BACK TO SCHOOL :

Source: Cricket 360 Date: March 16, 2009

Most Indian cricket players, both present and past tend to have their pet projects of some sort and Sourav Ganguly is no exception. He was in the cricket news recently for declaring his plans to open a school in Salt Lake; a modern state of the art school to impart education in the ICSE and European boards. Starting at the pre primary level, education will be imparted up to the graduate level and will be christened Wissen International.

International cricket players dabbling in the restaurant business is passé, Sourav Ganguly has been there, done that. He is now into the business of academics and will be opening a school in the Salt Lake area, with the initial investment of Rs. 20 crores. Ganguly was reported in the cricket news as saying he would be starting the school next year now that he is retired from international cricket and has the time to devote to the project.

"I will start a school at Salt Lake next year. I've always been interested in working with kids, but have been too preoccupied with international cricket and its demanding schedule. Now that I have retired and have some time, the school project will take priority. After two more seasons of Indian Premier League, I will be involved full-time in the school project," he was reported as having said.

The school will begin from preprimary and go on up till graduate course in each stream, and will boast state-of-the-art classrooms, auditorium, swimming pool and audio visual room. Reportedly there will be a tie-up with Videocon Cricket Academy for students to hone their cricketing skills as well. Construction of the school is underway and another such school will also open in Siliguri later.

The idea of the school was first mooted almost 10 years ago by Sourav’s maths teacher Anindya Majumdar. "Sourav was one of the best students I have had, good at both academics and sports. Sometime in the late 1990s, when Sourav was scoring runs at a prolific rate and had become an icon, he wanted to do something for the people here. It was then that I suggested the school venture. He took to the proposal immediately. But soon thereafter, he became captain of the team and the school project was put on the backburner. It was revived a couple of years ago. After he bids farewell to IPL, he will be totally involved in the school activity," said Majumdar.

Ganguly, who has always been interested in working with children, is expected to have a hands on involvement with the school. "Sourav will have hands-on involvement in the school when the first batch of Class X students pass out in 2014," added Majumdar. It will be a switch for Ganguly; cricket to academics, but then according to his teacher he was always a very good student"

Posted in: