We got a very warm reception at the factory though it was a Sunday. The personnel there took us to various departments and described how Cricket bats are manufactured.

Later on we got an opportunity to interact with the owner of the company Sh. R. C. Kohli who looked like a grand-sire of Indian sports manufacturing.

We present a candid conversation with Sh. Kohli.

Q1. How did you start this business?

Our parents came from Pakistan at the time of Division. They used to do the same business in Pakistan, the labour also came along as it was a skilled labour. They got settled here in Jalandhar and started the business here on a very small scale. In the beginning, we used to use bicycles.

Q2. What type of wood is used in manufacturing the Cricket Bat?

There are two types of Cricket bats: One is English Willow and the other is Kashmir Willow. The English is imported from England, a special kind of tree is found there. Now-a-days, its over-demand causes premature cutting of the tree, which means the tree is cut much before it is supposed to be. The wood for Kashmir Willow is brought from Kashmir where we face many difficulties to bring the wood due to different laws of the state. Cultivation of Kashmir Willow was tried in some places of Himachal Pardesh and other places but much is needed to be done by the Government to facilitate us.

Q3. What other playing material do you manufacture?

Other than Cricket bats, we prepare hockey, football, batting gloves etc.

Q4. Has the design and material of bat and hockey changed?

Yes, it has changed and I think it will keep on changing in the coming years. we have to prepare these according to the requirement of the players. For example, now-a-days wooden hockey is used less and instead of that carbon fiber reinforced hockey is used.

Q5. How easy is the liquidity of cash?

Liquidity of money is a major problem. We expect the government to provide us loans on lower interest rate, and subsidy also. Products from China are also causing problems as they are cheaper than ours.

Q6. How the Indian Cricket Players got in touch with you?

In our family two of our member have played at junior Wimbledon. In Jalandhar, we were having a network of supporting clubs. Firstly local Cricketers used to visit us; through them Indian Cricketers started coming here. They liked our products very much. Now we supply bats to many prominent Indian players and also oversees players. Sachin, Ganguly and Laxman use our bats and other material.

Q7. Do you export your products also?

Yes, we do. We have our own show rooms in twenty odd countries.

He is one of those spinners on whom Indian people can feel proud. He specialized as a slow left-arm orthodox bowler. He played Test cricket for India from 1966 to 1979 and formed part of the famous Indian spin quartet.

Later on, he went on to become the captain of Indian team and lead the team for 22 Test matches.

He attributes his success to the Almighty.

We present a telephonic interview with Bishan.

He was one of the prominent scorers in all the tournaments that he played.

He was felicitated with Arjuna Award.

We present a telephonic interview with Inder Singh.

He was born is Amritsar, Punjab and played for India during 1974-1987. He played 39 Test matches for India and performed quite well.

We present a telephonic interview with Madan Lal.

The accident was severe and Yugraj says that he was not even sure whether he would walk ever again. But valiant as he was off and on the ground, and with the wishes of people, he got up and regained his strength. He now coaches the National Indian Hockey team and has contributed immensely to its development.

Sandeep Singh, the rising star of the current Indian team, acknowledges the help that Yugraj gave him to become a world-class drag flicker.

We talked to this brave son of Indian Hockey on telephone:

But why?

Football, though very popular at the junior level, has seldom seen any performance by the senior players at the international arena and there is hardly any point where India could boast about. In other games, however, India continues to perform at the international level but football has never

However, Baichung Bhutia, born in Sikkim where Football remains a popular game, made it clear that he wants to play the game with all that he has. No wonder that his zeal and his dedication made him the first and only player in India to play in the English league. He played for Bury club.

He is felicitated with Padmashree and Arjuna Award and football great M. Vijayan describes him as “God’s gift to Indian football”.

We present a telephonic interview with Baichung.

The Cricket Samrat scales another peak

You will start feeling tired if you start writing about Sachin Tendulkar and his feats. However, the giant of Indian Cricket continues to scales heights seldom dreamt by his peers and others.

Maintaining dignity with style, humbleness with quality performance, and garnering respect from everybody while showing respects to others are some of the qualities that Sachin Tendulkar is known for (spare me if you want to know what records he owns!).

The man with a small built-up yet having a towering personality that has overshadowed almost every Cricket peak planted anywhere, Sachin remains one of the most talked about person in the world.

Very recently, he completed 100 hundreds that almost the whole Cricket world was waiting for.

Vineet Garg in conversation with us presents his views about this feat and also about the charisma called Sachin.

Jeev became the first Indian golfer to qualify for the European Tour, winning a coveted card at qualifying school in 1997. Now one of the hardest working professionals on the tour, Jeev played a remarkable 39 events in 2006, winning the Volvo Masters and the Volvo China Open and topping the Asian Tour Order of Merit.

He and his father is the only family duo in Indian history to have been awarded with Padma Shree and Arjuna Award. He says that it is hard to select golf as a career in India but it is growing popular.

We present a telephonic interview with Jeev.

Karna makes his final sacrifice

Vineet Garg describes Rahul Dravid as the Karna if we take the analogy of Mahabharata related to Indian Cricket. He says that Rahul Dravid, right from the start of his career, has been overshadowed by equally deserving and shining players of Indian Cricket, but Dravid out of his sheer passion for the game, relentlessly worked to pursue perfection.

He sacrificed his batting number for the cause of the team. He served as the Wicketkeeper for the team (two World Cups) and also opened the innings many a times. Vineet says that Dravid is one of most determined and focused players of his generation and the whole Cricket world acknowledges this fact. He has remained one of the most performing and promising batsmen overseas.

Vineet wishes that Dravid continues to serve Indian Cricket in one capacity or other and impart his vast international experience to the youngsters who are not that much attracted to classic art of the game.

We present Vineet’s views on Rahul Dravid’s retirement, which has conveyed a message to all the Cricket lovers with an undertone of helping the team as a whole.

Ashok Malhotra was a very good batsman though he did not do much justice to his own potential.

He though remains a keen observer of the game of the Cricket and is running an academy where he coaches youngsters who dream of making it big. He also offers his views as an expert to the TV channels.

He says that youngsters should concentrate on Test Cricket if they want to become great players because it is the best method to prove their worth. They should simply focus on Twenty20 wave.

We present a telephonic interview with Ashok.