Creating a cricket legacy at the G Force Academy

Jay Asser 13:16 08/01/2015
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  • Strength in numbers: The academy has 170 kids registered.

    Cricket is a game of nuance and skill, which requires coaching and commitment to thrive. That’s exactly what G Force Cricket Academy strives to provide.

    The institution is dedicated to developing young players so they can play at a competitive level, an opportunity that founder Gopal Jasapara wants to give every kid.

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    “I played cricket up to a certain level but I missed out on certain opportunities. You want to make sure that doesn’t happen to other kids,” said Jasapara, who played first-class cricket in India and at the club level in Dubai.

    “When we played, there were hardly any coaches or training sessions.  We trained ourselves and we want to pass on our knowledge to the kids.

    “We organise a lot of coaching programmes, apart from the regular ones, to make sure kids take the coaching seriously and they improve and grow. 

    “By 15, 16, if they move out of this country to another, they should be strong enough in the sport of cricket so they can continue playing the game."

    The academy started in 2004 under the name CricketLovers and had a modest group of six kids. 

    Since then, G Force have trained more than 1,000 youngsters and are now an established brand in Dubai with 170 kids.

    Currently, G Force is located in Delhi Private School in Dubai Academic City and the Fair Grounds Oval at Dubai Men’s College, but the academy is in the process of opening a new centre in Sharjah to expand their reach in the region.

    G Force’s normal coaching programmes run on Friday and Saturday for kids aged seven to 11 in the mornings and 13 to 16 in the afternoons.

    The academy also has  master classes during the weekdays and special coaching clinics on occasion by renowned guests, like former Indian team World Cup-winning coach Gary Kirsten.

    In addition, players can also take part in tours to India, such as the recent trip to Rajkot which saw 44 kids play 36 matches in three different age groups across 10 days in December. 

    G Force hosts an IPL-style Youth Premier League as well. Four coaches control a team each and hold an auction to select players. The 48 kids in total play T20 games and matches of 35 overs.

    “Because we have 170 kids, we don’t have to go out and look for opponents. We have our own economy,” said Jasapara.

    “We mostly play a lot of games between ourselves because of the level of matches.”

    Jasapara encourages kids wanting to improve their game to join G Force Cricket Academy.

    Contact & info: www.gforcecricketacademy.com for more information. 

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