Bhopal, Dec 1 (IANS) A friendly 20-20 cricket match was played here Wednesday. However, what was unusual about the match was that 10 of the 30 players were HIV positive.
The two teams were called Minister’s XI and Project Director’s XI. Madhya Pradesh Minister of State for Health Mahendra Hardia captained the former while project director of Madhya Pradesh State Aids Control Society, Manohar Agnani, captained the other.
‘No doubt forums and seminars on Dec 1 are informative and spread awareness. But a cricket match was a brilliant idea,’ Hardia said.
‘It sends an instant message to society that HIV positive people can play a game of cricket with as much energy and enthusiasm as any other person,’ he added.
Unicef (United Nations Children’s Fund) Programme Manager Manish Mathur said it was not about winning or losing the match, the important thing was that we together win to spread awareness on the issue and help fight stigma and discrimination associated with it.
Though the match ended in a tie but the spirit of fighting the stigma lingered on long after the game.
The match was organised by the Network of People Living With HIV AIDS Society, an association of activists working for HIV positive patients throughout the state.
