Baramulla, Jan 29: Despite being specially abled 28 year old Umar Ashraf Beigh, marches on along the paths of success and glory bringing pride to all around him. Hailing from Sultanpora village in Baramulla, north Kashmir, Umar has been deaf and dumb since childhood, however no hurdles could stop him from reaching the horizon of the cricket world.
Umar has been selected to represent India in the upcoming Tri-nation series against Bangladesh and Nepal in April 2023 at Kolkata.
Umar’s cricket career started in 2008 when he was selected for J&K’s deaf and dumb cricket team to play in Delhi.
He went on to represent the state in national level tournaments as an all-rounder and started his international career in 2014 by playing against Pakistan in the Dosti Cup.
Umar has played around 100 national matches and a dozen international cricket matches.
In 2016, Umar played a memorable match against Pakistan’s U-19 deaf and dumb team in Dubai, where he scored 59 runs.
He was part of the team that won the Asia Cup final against Sri Lanka in 2017 and the national team that won the World Cup against South Africa in 2022.
According to his family Umar was born deaf but used to listen to some extent. Although he lost his ability to listen completely during an accident at Boulevard, Dalgate.
Umar’s sister, HinaBeigh, spoke to Rising Kashmir and said that his listening ability was damaged when he met with an accident but that couldn’t stop him from following his passion for cricket.
Hina said that she felt elated when a college lecturer praised Umar for representing the nation at an international level.
“I couldn’t believe my ears when my college lecturer told us about Umar during a morning assembly.” she said.
Umar lost his father at a young age, but his mother, who is a government employee at Fire and Emergency Services, managed the family affairs in a proper manner and supported Umar in achieving his feat at an international level.
Umar also credits his success to his uncle AbadullahBeigh, who once owned a cricket bat shop in Punjab.
“Abdullah (Mosa Ji) gifted a cricket bat to Umar when was in 3rd standard. That bat changed his life and today he is all thanks to his uncle,” Hina added.
Umar’s selection for the Indian Deaf team serves as an inspiration for others facing similar challenges and is a testament to his hard work and dedication.
The family is currently staying in Srinagar and is proud of their son who has won accolades all over and represents the national team.
Umar in a message said that young people of Jammu and Kashmir should concentrate on both academics and athletics.
