ECC Media Release

In what has become the most awaited event in New Jersey cricket’s cultural calendar, Edison Cricket Club celebrated the end of 2009 season with yet another glittering award ceremony.  

This year too, the Piramal Healthcare Cricket Awards drew the best cricketers, cricket administrators, business leaders, politicians and representatives, celebrities, glitterati and over 175 enthusiastic attendees.

The event was a magnificent celebration of the completion of six years of Edison Cricket Club - in cricketing terms, the milestone represents the completion of one ‘over’ in what looks to be a magnificent spell.   

There was much to celebrate as ECC produced a string of spectacular achievements during 2009 - earning a promotion to Division A in the Cricket League of New Jersey, entering a second side in the Millennium Cricket League, a T20 team in the NJCUA T20 tournament and launching an ambitious junior cricket program in Edison in association with DreamCricket Academy. 

Pic (Right):  ECC's newest member, US Congressman Frank Pallone Jr, poses with his new cricket bat!

The junior program was the first of its kind - the kids played in the Western Union Cup and the sponsors included DIRECTV and Indus American Bank.

ECC is well known for its great successes in recruiting new members, inducting celebrities, forming alliances and, perhaps most importantly, in roping in sponsors for its events.  This year too, the club went the whole 22 yards at the Piramal Healthcare Cricket Awards - which Mayor Jun Choi called the Oscars of USA cricket.

Its inductees for 2009 included the legendary cricketers Sunil Gavaskar and Balwinder Singh Sandhu; Congressman Frank Pallone Jr; NJ Assemblyman and Deputy Speaker of State Assembly - Upendra Chivukula; and the most recognized female voice in New Jersey radio - Mamta Narula of EBC Radio.  

While Mr. Gavaskar and Mr. Sandhu were inducted in earlier private ceremonies attended by all club members, the rest of the 2009 inductees were honored at the annual event on October 31, 2009.

Shamini Singh was the beautiful MC for the event and she ensured that the event was fast-paced and exciting with not a single dull moment as she shared the podium with entertainers and dignitaries -  Gandhar, the live band for the evening, provided foot-tapping music including the theme music from Kaminey; Broadway’s newest and funniest stand-up comic, Mukund Ramachandran, entertained the audience with his observations on Facebook statuses and life in New York.  He ‘connected’ rather well with Congressman Frank Pallone as he joked about his recent unemployment; and cricket being a sport of good foot movement - the event ended with a belly dancer showing the cricketers how to coordinate the hands and feet.

John Aaron, the Executive Secretary of USA Cricket Association, was the guest speaker.  Commending ECC on its efforts at branding within the cricket diaspora, he said that “ECC’s model was needed to give the sport a shot in the arm in the USA.”

“Edison Cricket Club is building a vision wrapped in the love, admiration, appreciation and respect for a sport that embraces so many ethnicities and nations, and like music, crosses so many cultural and social barriers,” Mr. Aaron said.  He described his audience as people with cricket in their blood - or ‘C Positive.’   He reminded everyone that: “Collectively, we can advance the socio-cultural dynamics of the sport and use it as a bridge to cross-cultural relationships.”

Pic (Right): John Aaron, Executive Secretary of USA Cricket Association, was keynote speaker

Speaking about ECC’s impressive array of sponsors, Mr. Aaron said: “Allow me to publicly thank entities such as Piramal Healthcare for sponsoring tonight’s event. The marriage of sport, the human spirit, and commerce, are inextricably linked, and as such are all necessary for the sustainability of a cultural tradition in a society where people and commerce are interdependent.”

Ramandeep Singh Jaj, US Head of Piramal Healthcare, spoke of his company’s many achievements in diverse areas including healthcare, contract manufacturing, diagnostics, and original drug discovery.  “We have 7 facilities in India, 2 in the UK, 1 in Canada, 1 in China and we recently acquired one manufacturing facility here in the US in Bethlehem, Pensylvannia,” he added.

Talking about Piramal’s engagement with ECC, he said: “Ajay Piramal, Chairman of Piramal Healthcare and Mr. Santhanam, the CEO, are ardent fans and cricket lovers.  So when I told them about ECC they were kind enough to immediately request association with this prestigious club.” 

In his acceptance speech, Congressman Pallone, a recipient of India's third highest civilian award, the Padma Bhushan for his contributions as member of the India Caucus in the Congress, thanked Edison Cricket Club for inducting him into the club.  He said he was happy to see the club grow by leaps, noting that the last time he was at the ECC banquet in 2006, the audience was much smaller.  

Congressman Pallone said that he was fully aware of the surging popularity of the sport in USA and, as he went around the state canvassing support for Governor Corzine, he said that the topic of cricket grounds came up a lot.

Assemblyman Upendra Chivukula, spoke of his long association with cricket beginning with his days in Madras as a left-arm bowling all-rounder.   Mr. Chivukula also played league cricket in New Jersey in the ‘70s until a rib injury led to early retirement from cricket.  

Mamta Narula, the third inductee of the ECC said that she was extremely happy to be part of the ECC family and recalled the excitement of the 2003 World Cup when she found herself in the EBC cricket commentary team.   Mamta’s call to form a women’s team and challenge to the men to play a match against the women was received with loud cheers.

Edison Mayor Jun Choi, the Honorary Chairman of ECC, and Seema Singh past inductee of the ECC, spoke fondly of their cricket match which Seema’s team won, as she happily noted while The speakers and presenters included Kris Kolluri, Head of NJ Schools Development Authority, Councilman Dr. Sudhanshu Prasad of Edison Township, Alka Agrawal - CEO of EBC Radio, and Gulshan Chhabria MD of Holiday Inn Edison.

Pic (Left): Ramandeep Jaj, US Head of Piramal Healthcare, the main sponsor of the awards night

Coincidentally, just 24 hours after India’s External Affairs Junior Minister, Mr. Shashi Tharoor, suggested USA as a potential venue for India vs Pakistan bilateral series,  Councilman Dr. Prasad said “Our plan should be to have India play Pakistan in Edison within 12 months!”

In between speeches and entertainment, Piramal Healthcare Awards were presented to the best performers from ECC including Vipul Patel (Best Allrounder, Hattrick, Best Bowler - CLNJ) and Raj Bhavsar (Best Emerging Player). 

Vipul Patel was also the DIRECTV MVP of the Year.  Srinivas Chirra was presented with the Piramal Healthcare Best Umpire Award and Hyderabad Blues CC won the Spirit of Cricket award.  DIRECTV also presented the club with a large flip-digit scoreboard. (See below for full list of award winners).   

The Public Works of Edison Township received the Ambassador of Cricket Award for 2009.  Chris Mazauskas accepted the award on behalf of Jeffrey Roderman, Director of Public Works, to a standing ovation.  Expressing thanks for the award, Mr. Mazauskas,  Resource Development Officer said: “The Township was involved with the Club early on -- from the installation of the very first Cricket pitch, located behind the Woodbrook School, as well as the two, new, recent locations at Dudash Park and at Thomas Jefferson Middle School.”

“The spirit in which the Club presents the game heightens and reinforces the core values of healthy competition, while encouraging self-improvement and personal confidence.

“Ultimately, the Club consistently demonstrates its commitment to society in mentoring the young and engaging the aged by supporting their active participation and attendance at local Cricket matches.  

“Through the esteemed venue of the game, the Edison Cricket Club continues its efforts to edify all those who participate, as players and observers, in the virtues of sportsmanship and community,” Mr. Masauzkas said.

The evening ended with a thank you note by Atul Huckoo, the President of ECC  who also gave out special appreciation awards in the form of cricket bats signed by the management of ECC  to all the club sponsors - Emirates Airlines, Piramal Healthcare, DIRECTV, Western Union, Indus American Bank, Glaceau - makers of Smart Water and Vitamin Water, Signs by Tomorrow, LongTail LLC, Dhoom FM, Dreamcricket.com, Diamond Essence and Sunshine Resturant.  

Following all the ceremonies, a sumptuous dinner served by Akbar Restaurant while attendees were presented with special entertainment and Emirates Airline provided a return ticket to India in a well participated raffle.


Piramal Healthcare Cricket Spirit Awards:

Best Umpire Award -  Srinivas Reddy Chirra
Spirit of Cricket Award - Hyderabad Blues Cricket Club
Ambassador for Cricket - The Public Works of Edison Township

Piramal Healthcare Cricket Awards 2009:

Best All Rounder in MCL – Parshuram Kulkarni
Best All Rounder in CLNJ – Vipul Patel
Player of the Year – Vipul Patel
Emerging Player – Raj Bhavsar
Centurion Award -  Fahad Sultan
Hatrick – Vipul Patel
5 Wicket Haul – Vipul Patel, Sriram Srinivasan, Hari Rangisetty and Sachin Pathare
Ambassador of ECC –  Srujal Parikh & Manoj Bagwe
Spirit of Achievement – Atul Huckoo
Best Bowler for MCL – Hari Rangisetty
Best Bowler for CLNJ – Vipul Patel
Best Batsman for MCL - Parshuram Kulkarni
Best Batsman for CLNJ – Karthick Ramaniiâ?

DIRECTV MVP of the Year Award - Vipul Patel