‘We both used to cry on phone’ – When U-19 star Siddhesh Veer’s father thought his son would not make it
- Siddhesh Veer overcame an injury to make it to India U-19 World Cup squad.
- Siddhesh Veer’s family had to make a lot of sacrifices to help him realise his World Cup dream.
- India finished runners-up at the ICC U-19 World Cup 2020.
India U-19 star Siddhesh Veer grabbed eyeballs with his performances in the recently-concluded ICC U-19 World Cup 2020. One of the key members of the India U-19 side which finished runners-up under skipper Priyam Garg at the World Cup, Veer and his family had to make a lot of sacrifices and battle financial hardships throughout his journey. Veer’s father, who was a lawyer by profession, left his job to help his son train and realise his dream of playing for India.
Veer hails from Bhor in Maharashtra and had started playing cricket at a tender age 11. His father was the first one to spot his son’s talent and decided to take him to Pune for proper coaching. Veer’s father Ashok left his job and stayed with his son in shared rooms in Pune while the youngster’s mother and sister stayed back in hometown Bhor. Veer’s mother, a school teacher, became the sole earner in the family.
The financial condition of Veer’s family was poor but his father always held his son’s back and supported him in the pursuit of his cricketing dreams. He made his son join the PYC Hindu Gymkhana Club and helped him train extra at home. Their hard work bore fruit when Veer earned a call-up in the India U-19 squad for the World Cup in South Africa.
“It was not possible for me to travel 50 kms every day via the state transport bus. So, I decided to move to Pune with him and join the PYC Hindu Gymkhana Club,” Veer’s father Ashok was quoted as saying by Hindustan
“Support from my friends helped me a lot as they would not charge me rent for the room where we stayed. There were times where we even stayed in shared rooms. My daughter’s education and financial needs of the family made things difficult. However, the support of my friends made everything possible,” he added.
