Ek Pehal initiative will support coaching, infrastructure and competitive opportunities for cricketers with visual impairments.
MUMBAI (india CSR): CBRE South Asia Pvt. Ltd. has strengthened its commitment to disability inclusion through a new partnership with Samarthanam Trust for the Disabled and the Cricket Association for the Blind in India (CABI).
The partnership was announced during Beyond Boundaries: Sports Excellence, Inclusion and Empowerment, organised under CBRE India’s corporate social responsibility initiative, Ek Pehal.
The initiative aims to support professional training, sporting infrastructure and competitive opportunities for cricketers with visual impairments. It also seeks to create wider recognition for blind cricket in India.
The event at The St. Regis Mumbai felicitated India’s men’s and women’s blind cricket teams for their achievements. It also unveiled the official jersey of the Indian men’s blind cricket team ahead of the second Men’s Blind Cricket Asia Cup.
The tournament is scheduled to take place in Dhaka, Bangladesh, from November 15 to 20, 2026.
Ajinkya Rahane, former India Test captain, actor Boman Irani and broadcaster Mayanti Langer joined players, corporate leaders and disability-sport advocates at the event.
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Celebrating Sporting Excellence
The felicitation recognised blind cricket as a space of discipline, talent, teamwork and national pride. The event brought athletes’ achievements into the mainstream corporate and sporting conversation.
Anshuman Magazine, Chairman and CEO, India, South-East Asia, Middle East and Africa, CBRE, said sport can turn opportunity into achievement and visibility into lasting change.
He said the partnership would strengthen pathways for players with visual impairments to train, compete and receive recognition for their talent.
“Through Ek Pehal, our partnership with Samarthanam and CABI will strengthen the pathways that enable cricketers with visual impairments to train at their best,” Magazine said.
He added that CBRE was proud to support the men’s team as it prepares for the Asia Cup.
The event also highlighted the need for disability sport to receive sustained investment. Recognition at ceremonial events is important, but athletes also require quality coaching, equipment, medical support and regular competition.
For blind cricketers, this ecosystem can determine whether talent gets an opportunity to become high-level performance.
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Preparing For Dhaka
As part of the partnership, the Indian men’s blind cricket team will attend a specialised coaching camp in Delhi NCR.
The camp will focus on batting, bowling, fielding, fitness and match strategy. It will help players prepare for the Asia Cup and build match readiness.
CBRE’s support is expected to include professional coaching, sporting kits, fitness support and access to competitive preparation. Such support can help athletes focus more fully on performance.
The men’s team will enter the tournament carrying the hopes of a growing blind-cricket ecosystem. The jersey unveiling marked a public moment of encouragement before the international competition.
The partnership also sends an important message to Indian corporates. Inclusion in sport requires investments that continue beyond a single event or campaign.
It requires access to grounds, coaches, equipment, travel, rehabilitation, nutrition and regular competitive exposure.
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Building Sporting Pathways
Dr. Mahantesh G. Kivadasannavar, Founder and Managing Trustee, Samarthanam Trust for the Disabled, and Chairman of CABI, welcomed the partnership.
He said blind cricket needs consistent support across coaching, equipment, competition and public awareness.
“The development of blind cricket requires consistent support across coaching, equipment, competitive exposure and public awareness,” Dr. Kivadasannavar said.
He added that the CBRE partnership would provide more opportunities for players to develop and compete.
Samarthanam works across education, livelihood development, rehabilitation, sports and social inclusion. CABI, its cricketing arm, plays a central role in developing pathways for visually impaired cricketers across India.
The partnership therefore connects corporate CSR support with an established disability-sport ecosystem. It can help create a stronger foundation for athletes at different stages of their sporting journeys.
Blind cricket has repeatedly demonstrated that disability does not limit sporting ambition, leadership or excellence. However, sustainable progress depends on equal access to resources and visibility.
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Women’s Cricket Journey
The event also celebrated India’s women’s blind cricket team and screened Dekh Le India, a documentary by Shanthi Mohan and Mukund Moorthy.
The film follows the women’s team as it prepared for its first international tournament in 2023.
The team later created history by winning the inaugural Women’s T20 World Cup for the Blind in November 2025.
The documentary screening brought the team’s journey, resilience and sporting ambition before a wider audience. It also created an opportunity to discuss the importance of women’s participation in disability sport.
The programme included a panel discussion on sport, inclusion and equal opportunity. Participants discussed how sporting platforms can build confidence, challenge stereotypes and create greater public recognition.
For young girls with visual impairments, successful women athletes can become powerful role models. Their achievements show that talent can flourish when opportunity, training and belief come together.
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Inclusion Beyond Sport
CBRE India’s Ek Pehal initiative works to create sustainable and inclusive communities. Its CSR programmes cover education, healthcare, nutrition, women’s empowerment, livelihood development, migrant-worker social security and community infrastructure.
Through more than 12 NGO partnerships, Ek Pehal has reached over 510,000 lives across India.
The blind-cricket partnership expands this work into disability inclusion through sport. It acknowledges that sport is not merely recreational.
Sport can support confidence, physical well-being, teamwork, leadership, visibility and economic opportunity. It can also help communities rethink outdated ideas of ability and disability.
CBRE’s partnership with Samarthanam and CABI offers a practical model for corporate support. It combines athlete recognition with long-term investment in training and competitive readiness.
As the Indian men’s blind cricket team prepares for Dhaka, the initiative will help place inclusion at the centre of India’s sporting conversation. LinkedIn
