Mumbai: Nearly 50 school children from Dharavi got a rare opportunity to watch top international women cricketers in action as they attended a Women’s Premier League (WPL) fixture between Gujarat Giants and Royal Challengers Bengaluru under dazzling floodlights, at Mumbai’s DY Patil Stadium, on Friday.
The stadium visit is part of a series of sports-led initiatives undertaken in Dharavi over the past year under the Dharavi redevelopment project. Last week, three Gujarat Giants players visited Dharavi and interacted with women cricketers, sharing their personal journeys and encouraging young girls to take sport seriously. Earlier, nearly 400 students from Dharavi participated in a chess championship where Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa attended as chief guest — an interaction that left a lasting impression on students and teachers alike. In another initiative, six aspiring young footballers from Dharavi were taken to Wankhede Stadium to watch Lionel Messi during his visit to India.
The match outing was facilitated by the Navbharat Mega Developers Pvt Ltd (NMDPL), the Special Purpose Vehicle, implementing the Dharavi redevelopment project. The students were transported from Dharavi to the venue in the evening, escorted throughout the event, and safely returned later.
For most of the children, this was not just their first WPL match but their first-ever experience of a live professional sporting spectacle. Watching elite athletes so close with their intensity, fitness, and confidence left a strong impression on the young spectators.
“We usually watch cricket on TV, but seeing the players live was completely different. It made me feel that one day I can also play like them,” said one of the students, clutching her match ticket as a keepsake.
Teachers accompanying the group said the experience went far beyond entertainment. “Such exposure opens up imagination and shows children what is possible when talent meets opportunity,” one of them said.
Initiatives such as these reflect NMDPL’s effort to integrate education, aspiration-building and community participation into Dharavi’s redevelopment journey. “These exposures will inspire confidence and ambition among the next generation,” another teacher said.
To get details on exclusive and budget-friendly property deals in Mumbai & surrounding regions, do visit: https://budgetproperties.in/
