Sri Lankan cricket bat fetches Rs. 17 lakhs at auction

The cricket bat which was auctioned at Hotel Hilton ....
for 17 lakhs

     The price of a cricket bat usually is in the range of Rs. 1,500 - 50,000 while the leather ball has a figure of Rs. 250 - 2,500.

    However, at an auction last week the cricket bat autographed by Sri Lankan cricketers was sold at Rs. 17 lakhs while a leather ball autographed by Murali fetched Rs. 3 and a half lakhs. This took place at the ceremony held recently at Hotel Hilton for collecting funds for Hameedia Fashion Show and My Friend Charity. The function was attended by a host of businessmen, members of the Sri Lankan cricket team as well as a number of former cricketers.

    There was a special reason why these were sold at such a high price. The reason was nothing other than the heart-rending and sensitive speech given by Mr. Fauzul Hameed, proprietor of Hameedias who introduced the My Friend charity programme which collected monies on behalf of the welfare of a thousand children around the island who were gripped with sheer poverty. The speech touched the hearts of the businessmen who were in attendance there. This is what he said on that particular day:
   "Ladies and gentlemen ... are you aware of the fact that some schoolchildren in our country .... leaving aside buying a book or pencil, are those who come from families who do not even have bare financial means even to buy a cup of tea? Do you know that some   children who go to school faint without having had their breakfast? The morning meal is necessary for a human being. The mind works that way ... but the situation of some children in our country is such. My Friend Charity is carried out on behalf of such children who possess skills in studies but who are suffering from poverty. Let's do something for the welfare of such clever children. Let us launch a fund by contributing a good sum of money for the bat that is autographed by the Sri Lankan team; for the ball autographed by Murali and the bat autographed by the West Indies team".

     At this auction, the ball autographed by Murali was sold for Rs. 3 and a half lakhs; the bat autographed by the West Indies was sold for Rs. 2 lakhs while the bid for the bat autographed by Sri Lankan cricketers kept on rising and finally reaching an apex of Rs. 17 lakhs ... bringing a surprise to all onlookers.

    The businessman who bought this bat refused to reveal his name; but this is what he said:
  "When I heard that story of a schoolchild fainting without having anything for breakfast ... I couldn't bear it. On some days, how much food do we throw away. It was not by knowing about this auction that I came here today .... but when I heard that story ... I felt sorry about my ownself. We should help helpless people. That is why I thought of donating this money".