The Yuvraj Singh Centre of Excellence (YSCE) and the Merlin Group have conferred a Full Scholarship on Rishika Sarkar, a three-and-a-half-year-old cricket prodigy, at Merlin Rise, to support her exceptional cricketing talent. Cricket icon and official brand ambassador of the ICC T20 Men’s World Cup, Yuvraj Singh, and the real estate conglomerate Merlin Group announced the scholarship while the World Cup T20 is being played in the United States. RJ Praveen, Content Creator and his team first identified talent in Rishika while she practised with her father in New Town. He appealed the community for support to Rishika and Merlin Group stepped in.
While sending his best wishes from the T20 World Cup, cricket icon and the man of the tournament of the 2011 World Cup, Yuvraj Singh, said, “The Yuvraj Singh Centre of Excellence at Merlin Rise, Kolkata, is committed to nurturing young cricketing talents in Bengal. As part of our commitment to cricket, we are conferring this special scholarship to the talented Rishika Sarkar. I have seen videos of her playing cricket, and I believe she is very talented at such a young age. We will support her training at our High Performance Training Centre at YSCE, Merlin Rise, Kolkata, and our Highly trained coaches will nurture her talent to excellence. This prestigious scholarship recognizes Rishika Sarkar’s exceptional passion for sports and her commitment to excellence.”
Mr. Saket Mohta, MD of Merlin Group, said, “We are extremely delighted to support the child prodigy Rishika Sarkar in her training. We also commit to undertaking the responsibility of her education. Currently, Merlin Rise already has a residential training facility for boys. Our residential training for girls will start soon, and we can accommodate Rishika then, allowing her to stay here as well. At Merlin Rise, we are committed to developing young sporting talents. I wish Rishika all the very best.”
At a formal function, Mr. Satyen Sanghvi, Director,Projects, Merlin Group, presented the scholarship, Cricket shoes, Jersey, and cricket kits as gifts to Rishika Sarkar in the presence of RJ Praveen former Content Creator and his team.
Mr. Yuvraj Singh, currently at the ICC T20 World Cup 2024, sent Rishika a Miniature Cricket bat with his signature as a Memento and a sign of good wishes and support.
Rishika Sarkar, was born into a poor family living in a two-room shanty in the suburbs of New Town. The family barely earns enough for two square meals a day. Despite this, little Rishika is already popular for her commitment to cricket and her tenacity to practice for more than six hours a day. Her father, Rajeeb Sarkar, guides her and she effortlessly makes square drives and cover drives during practice sessions.
The Merlin Group approached RJ Praven , Content creator and his team, who had made a video of Rishika and circulated the same seeking support and offered her Full Scholarship and educational support.Rishika also caught the attention of Yuvraj Singh, the brand ambassador for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, for her exceptional passion for cricket and commitment to excellence. Yuvraj Singh appreciated young Rishika’s talent and agreed to provide her training at YSCE.
The Head Coach of YSCE also acknowledged Rishika’s cricket talent during some practice sessions. At present, YSCE will provide Rishika training three days a week to assess her performance and needs. The coaches will offer necessary training and design a personalized coaching and diet program based on her needs and areas for improvement. Merlin Rise and Club Pavilion, the sports club of Merlin Rise, will also provide her with a nutritious diet as per the guidelines. YSCE will monitor her performance regularly and create opportunities for her to play in matches. Merlin Group will identify a school nearby her locality, admit her to the school, and bear all the costs of her education.
Merlin Group, a leading real estate group in India with a strong presence in Eastern India, announced the launch of a sprawling Greenfield sports city in Rajarhat christened Merlin Rise – The Sports Republic in 2021. The Sports Republic houses Club Pavilion, a recreational club dedicated to activity and fitness. Spread over an imposing land area, Club Pavilion at “RISE – Sports Republic” includes sports academies and sports-related infrastructural facilities. A cricket ground, football ground, indoor sports area, swimming pool, gym, and a host of other amenities make this residential township unique. The club pavilion offers national and international standards with academies by global sports icons Ronaldinho, Michael Phelps, and Yuvraj Singh in the fields of football, swimming, and cricket, respectively. A martial arts academy by Bollywood actor Tiger Shroff was also announced two years ago. While Ronaldinho’s R10 Football Academy and The Yuvraj Singh Centre of Excellence (YSCE) are operational at Merlin Rise, the sports republic, “Michael Phelps Swimming” and “MMA Matrix Training Centre” by Tiger Shroff are yet to be operational.
