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Sachin Tendulkar Backed Candidate Loses As Abhay Hadap Becomes New MCA Secretary

MCA (X.com)MCA (X.com)

Abhay Hadap on Tuesday defeated Sachin Tendulkar-backed candidate Suraj Samat to become the secretary of the Mumbai Cricket Association.

Hadap got 196 votes, while Samat secured 141 out of the 337 ballots cast. Hadap succeeds Ajinkya Naik as secretary, who was elected president of the MCA following the demise of former president Amol Kale in June. Hadap has an experience of more than three decades in organising cricket tournaments in the city.

"I never even dreamt that I'll become the MCA secretary one day, or that I'll reach this level. This a common man's victory. My win was possible because of all the maidan club secretaries and cricketers.

I have one year in hand and that is more than sufficient for me to do a lot of things for Mumbai cricket and the maidans. I'd like to work with the (MCA) Apex Council and our president Ajinkya Naik, whose motto is also the same as mine -- to serve cricket," he added.

Naik said he has seen Hadap as a sports administrator since his childhood.

"Hadap has been working for maidan cricket for the last 35 years. Around 25 years ago, when I was a kid, I played in the Ajit Naik Under-14 Tournament at Worli. Hadap is one of the pioneers of that tournament, and is still organising that event. Last season, (he) organised 105 local cricket tournaments.

He has been working with MCA since 2011. He has been associated with various sports in the last 35 years. When I was a kid he was the organiser of the Worli Sports Club tournament (Ajit Naik U-14 Tournament) in which Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane and most of the India players have played," he added.

BCCI Appoints Ajay Ratra As A Selector 

Meanwhile, in another appointment, BCCI on Tuesday appointed former India wicket-keeper Ajay Ratra as a selector of the men's cricket team, replacing Salil Ankola in the five-man panel. Ratra was also a member of the support staff that travelled with India A women's team to Australia last month.

[With PTI Inputs]