Sourav Ganguly to meet 12-year-old fanboy who fled from home to Kolkata to meet him on his 52nd birthday
Moved by a 12-year-old boy’s gesture, former India captain Sourav Ganguly said he would meet him after returning to Kolkata from London. The former BCCI President expressed his wish to meet the kid for his little adventure at such a young age. The reaction comes a day after Adrish Haldar fled home – Bankura’s Kotulpur – to meet Ganguly on his 52nd birthday in Kolkata’s Behala.
According to a Times of India report, the class seven student traveled 115 km using his pocket money, which was given to him by his parents to attend a Rath Yatra fair in his hometown. The young boy wished to meet his cricketing idol to convince his father to let him seriously take up cricket.
Ganguly told the Times of India (via Personal assistant) on Wednesday, July 10:
“I learnt about his little adventure. I am keen on meeting him.”
The report added that Ganguly’s office got in touch with Adrish’s parents. They have requested his father to bring the boy to Kolkata during the last week of this month.
“My son is a big fan of Sourav Ganguly; without informing us, he left home” – Adrish Haldar’s father relieved to reunite with his son
Adrish Haldar’s father Shibram Haldram revealed that his son was a huge fan of Sourav Ganguly and expressed his gratitude to the traffic guard who spotted the kid. He told the Times of India:
“My son is a big fan of Sourav. Without informing us, he left home on Monday around noon. After searching for him extensively, we filed a missing person’s report at Kotulpur police station. I am grateful to the Behala police and the traffic guard for returning my son.”
The traffic guard played a vital role in arranging the meeting with Ganguly. A senior official told TOI:
“We saw love for Ganguly in the child’s eyes and wanted to respect it. We clicked a clipping of the report that appeared in TOI and sent it to his office. His office reverted soon enough and stated they wanted to arrange a meeting with Ganguly and the child once the former cricketer returned home later this month.”
Interestingly, Sourav Ganguly retired from all forms of cricket in 2012. Adrish was born that year.