Mumbai, April 25 (IANS) Over 17,000 underprivileged children from various Non-Governmental Organisations (NGO) filled up the Wankhede Stadium here on Saturday to cheer for their home team Mumbai Indians against Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Among them, around 200 differently abled children, including 13 on wheelchairs, will be seated at the Garware Stand.
A total of 414 buses and over 2,000 volunteers were deployed to transport the children to the stadium and back.
The children were brought to the stadium under an ‘Education For All’ initiative by the Nita Ambani-led Reliance Foundation in partnership with 14 NGOs.
Mumbai Indians players Vinay Kumar, Pragyan Ojha, Aditya Tare tweeted to show their support for the initiative.
“Today 18 thousand underprivileged children 4m various NGO’s will be cheering 4 @mipaltan God bless them vd all d happiness #EducationForAll,” Vinay tweeted.
Tare said: “Today the Wankhede will b at its loudest!!! #EducationForAll game will have 18k kids comin n cheerin for #MI Great initiative!!! #mivssrh”
Ojha tweeted: “Guys 18k kids are coming to support @mipaltan. Thanks 2 reliance foundation & efa for putting all the efforts to make it possible. #MIvsSRH.”