Kolkata: Rookie Bengal pacer Amit Kuila has signed a lucrative contract with the leading sports goods manufacturer, Puma. Fresh from his exploits with the ball for Bengal, since making his debut against Punjab, Kuila will be endorsed by the company. The man behind Kuila’s signing the contract is none other than Cricket Association of Bengal President Sourav Ganguly.
According to Sourav, “We had earlier selected a group of 10 talented cricketers who are not financially strong. Top among them was Amit Kuila. We have decided to give him a stipend of 40000 rupees per month, on behalf of CAB and PMA.”
He further added, “I have come to know from the media that his family is not financially strong. His father, as I am told, is jobless. So, this is just a small gesture from the association to show that we stand beside him.”
Kuila made a memorable debut for Bengal by taking a wicket with his first ball in first-class cricket. He returned with 5 wickets in the first innings against Punjab. He was adjudged the Man of the Match. It was followed by another good performance against the Railways. A shy looking Kuila later told xtratime.in, “I had never thought about getting rewarded in such a fashion so early in my career. I am grateful to Sir (Sourav Ganguly). The financial help extended towards me will help my family in a huge way. This will motivate me to do well.”
Kuila along with other talented cricketers like Ishan Porel and Sayan Ghosh are the products of the Vision 20-20 initiative started by Sourav in 2013-14. A satisfied looking CAB president said, “I am really surprised to see the success of Vision 20-20 within such a short time. Our job is to give the players the best facilities. It is up to them to make use of the facilities and produce results.”