Ind-NZ: 2 visually impaired barred as aides ticketless

Security cited 'only one person was allowed entry on a ticket'

Two visually-impaired cricket fans, who had come to enjoy the India-New Zealand match in Madhya Pradesh's Indore on Tuesday, were stopped by the police from entering the stadium, as their aides did not have tickets. The duo, who claimed to be big fans of cricketer Virat Kohli, was later allowed to enter the venue with their assistants on humanitarian grounds. According to eyewitnesses, Ashish Chauhan and Abhishek Namdev had reached Holkar Stadium with two attendants for the 3rd ODI between India and New Zealand.

Talking to PTI, Chauhan's sister said, "My brother had bought a ticket for the match, but I was stopped from accompanying him into the stadium, citing that only one person was allowed entry on a ticket." The attendants of both the visually-impaired men explained their problems to the top police officers present at the spot, after which all of them were allowed to enter the stadium. "We helped both the visually impaired and their attendants to enter the stadium because every fan comes to watch India's match with great joy," sub-inspector Sapna Dodiya said.

Namdev, who was attending an international cricket match in a stadium for the first time, said he is completely blind and had till now enjoyed the sport by listening to the commentary. "I am a big fan of Kohli. When he scores a century or bats well, I love listening to his commentary," he said. Chauhan, who only has five per cent vision, is also a big fan of Kohli. "I have been fond of cricket since childhood and I have been enjoying matches by listening to the commentary till now. This is the first time that I have come to the stadium for an international match," he said.