According to reports, Sachin Tendulkar made a direct drive in support of Suraj Samant’s candidature for Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) Secretary. Samant’s candidature for the role was supported not just by Tendulkar but also by the late Amol Kale’s widow, the former MCA secretary. However, Abhay Hadap (196 votes) defeated Samant (141 votes) by a margin of 55 votes as the election results were announced on September 3. Abhay Hadap will now serve as the MCA Secretary.
In Mumbai’s local cricket scene, Abhay Hadap is a highly respected individual. He once oversaw neighbourhood competitions held on a number of city fields. After gaining the desired position, Hadap, who is from Adarsh Nagar in Worli, has nothing except a modest past to reflect on. Hadap declared his triumph to be a “common man’s victory” and promised to move Mumbai cricket forward after winning by an exciting margin.
“I never would have imagined that I would get to this point or that I would become the MCA secretary. This is the triumph of the common guy. Thanks to all of the maidan club cricketers and secretaries, I was able to win. I have one year left, which is more than enough to accomplish a lot for the maidans and Mumbai cricket. As stated by TOI, Hadap stated, “I would like to collaborate with the Apex Council and our president, Ajinkya Naik, whose motto is also the same as mine: to serve cricket.”
Abhay Hadap has spent the previous 35 years working for maidan cricket; Ajinkya Naik
Furthermore, since Ajinkya Naik, the president of the MCA, supported Hadap, there were a lot of suspicions that he would become the secretary of the organisation. Following Hadap’s victory, Ajinkya quickly recalled participating in an Under-14 competition that the most recent MCA Secretary had started.
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“Hadap has spent the last 35 years working for Maidan Cricket.” When I was a child, some twenty-five years ago, I participated in the Worli Ajit Naik Under-14 Tournament. Hadap is still in charge of planning the competition and was one of its pioneers. He was instrumental in helping the MCA host over 105 regional cricket competitions the previous year. “I hope Hadap succeeds in improving Mumbai cricket and taking the MCA to new heights,” Naik remarked.